


Together Always

by Velvet_Crush



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Ben Solo survives, Droid battle, F/M, Finn searches for them, Fluff and Angst, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Healing, HEA, Hiding in Plain Sight, Implied Poe Dameron/Finn, M/M, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, My First Work in This Fandom, Original Character(s), Post-Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Post-Time Skip, Pregnant Rey (Star Wars), Protective Ben Solo, Protective Finn (Star Wars), Protective Rey (Star Wars), Redeemed Ben Solo, Reylo babies, Running Away, Tatooine (Star Wars), Wish Fulfillment, changed ending, daddy ben, mommy Rey, reylo family, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:40:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 108,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22230472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Velvet_Crush/pseuds/Velvet_Crush
Summary: After saving each other on Exegol, Rey convinces Ben to run away with her so he won't be captured and executed for his crimes. They succeed and everyone believes them to have perished in the war...except for one force-sensitive, former stormtrooper, who is determined to find his friend by any means possible, and almost endangers her new family as a result.Starts at the end of Rise of Skywalker, followed by a time skip.
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey & Ben Solo | Kylo Ren, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 84
Kudos: 489





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Never thought I'd be writing something for Star Wars, but here I am :) Saw the Rise of Skywalker and while I did enjoy the film, I was saddened by Ben's death and the death of my beloved ship. My friend especially was devastated and begged me to write a 'fix-it' story to help her cope. Originally was gonna make this a one shot but I ended up with a slightly longer story in my head while writing. So this is less of a 'fix-it' and more of a 'what-if', lined with wish fulfillment. Hopefully y'all like it and let me know if you want it to continue.
> 
> Disclaimer: While I am a fan, I am no all-knowing expert on Star Wars, its lore, the force, the book series, TV shows or games. So apologies if I get some things wrong. The force is my plot device in this.

** Chapter 1 **

Ben Solo grunted in pain as he clawed his way back up from the ravine Emperor Palpatine had thrown him into. Although he was bruised and bloodied from his previous fights, nothing would deter him from getting back to Rey, who was now alone and at the mercy of the Emperor. 

He was about halfway up when he felt it. A rush of cold emptiness, as if the light that was guiding him back up suddenly became extinguished. As if half his soul had now disappeared...

Ben blanched in realization, his body suddenly feeling weak, causing him nearly losing his grip and slid back down. It couldn't be. She couldn't have...

Finally, after much effort, Ben managed to reach the top and pull himself out. Standing up, he saw destruction all around him. All the clone experiments were destroyed, the cult members lay dead and crushed under rubble, and nothing but a smoldering crater resided where Palpatine and his throne once stood. 

His eyes searching, he finally spotted her. Lying on the ground, face-up in the middle of all the carnage, was Rey.

Ben limped toward Rey, his legs buckling underneath him from his injuries, yet he forced himself onward. Kneeling at her side, Ben pulled Rey onto his lap, lifting her head up slightly. Her body lay limp in his arms as she stared up at him unblinkingly, her skin pale and cold as death.

"No...no no Rey…" Ben whispered desperately. "Wake up, please." 

She did not respond. Panicking, Ben looked briefly around for anything or anyone that could help her. He then held her close to him, trying to use the force to detect a heartbeat or any possible sign of life left within her. 

Yet he sensed nothing. Rey was gone.

" _Please_ , wake up..."

Ben tightened his hold around her, trembling as he struggled to hold back tears and burying his face against her neck. She couldn’t be gone. Not after everything they went through to get to this point. He refused to accept it. Somehow, someway, he had to save her. He owed her that much after she-

That’s when the idea struck him. If she was able to save him using her force powers, then surely he could do the same.

Ben pulled away and placed a hand on Rey’s abdomen. He had never used the force to heal someone before, much less bring them back from the dead. He knew such an act was possible but was also said to have devastating results for the force user. Still Ben, knew he had to try, even if the act itself killed him. He had to succeed for her sake.

Ben concentrated as hard as he could, summoning up all the life force and essence he possessed before transferring it into Rey. As he did so, he felt himself slowly grow weaker, his hands shaking as the pain from his injuries grew more severe. Even the familiar force power he felt from his mother started to leave him. A searing, crippling pain had also ripped through his stomach, as his previous stab wound had reopened and was now starting to bleed through his shirt.

Still, he continued, forcing himself through the pain, not wanting to stop until every last bit of his energy was spent trying to save Rey. 

Finally, after sacrificing all he could, Ben felt his body succumb and keel over. Closing his eyes, he fainted peacefully into the surrounding darkness.

Rey awoke with a start as she suddenly started breathing again. Taking some deep breaths, she sat up and immediately looked down to see Ben, unconsciously draped over her, his hand still resting on her abdomen. 

“Ben?” Rey asked as she shook his shoulder. “Ben!” 

When he didn’t respond, Rey placed a hand under his chest but sensed no heartbeat nor was he breathing. She did however feel something else and pulled her hand back, only to see it covered with blood. 

Panicking, she quickly pulled Ben off her and laid him back onto the ground. His body was beaten and broken, with a massive bloodstain that covered the entire front of his shirt. Yet despite his numerous injuries, Ben’s face still appeared calm as if he were peacefully sleeping. Just then, his body started to fade away and Rey quickly realized what he had done.

“No….no Ben please!” Rey exclaimed. Desperately she tried placing a hand on his chest, only for it to phase through him. 

“No! No…” Tears in her eyes, Rey watched in agony as Ben slowly faded away. Leaning down, she placed her face close to his as she pleaded softly. “Don’t leave me alone again, please.” 

Grasping the space where his phasing hand was, Rey closed her eyes as she wept over Ben's body.

Just then, force electricity started to pulsate from Rey’s fingers, spreading from Rey’s hand onto Ben’s. His body stopped fading as the lightning turned into ethereal blue energy, which spread up Ben's arm and throughout his whole body, causing him to glow brightly.

Rey opened her eyes and was shocked to see Ben’s glowing body beneath her. She could feel his presence trying to come back as his body struggled to reform. Glancing at her electrified hand, Rey realized that her force powers, along with the connection from their bond, was pulling him back to her. 

Desperate to help, Rey reached down to touch Ben's face, her electrified fingers just barely brushing against his translucent skin. She leaned down, pressing her forehead near his as she closed her eyes and whispered in concentration. "Come back to me Ben...be with me...I'm here for you." 

With that last bit of help from Rey, Ben's glowing body surged with power, engulfed within a burst of hot white light.

Suddenly Ben’s fingers entwined with Rey's, his hand now grasping hers firmly as his body slowly become solid again. Rey opened her eyes as she felt Ben's forehead press against hers, watching in wonder as he took his first breath of life. The light engulfing him faded back into a soft glow, receding back down Ben’s arm and into his and Rey’s conjoined hands, disappearing in a crackle of electricity.

Ben woke with a start, opening his eyes and breathing heavily. He looked surprised to find himself alive, including Rey who was leaning over him as she held his hand. “Rey?”

“Ben!” Rey exclaimed in relief.

Together, they helped Ben sit up. Looking down at himself and Rey, Ben noted that all of their wounds and injuries were now gone. Even the bloodstain on his shirt had disappeared.

“We’re both…alive?” He asked in amazement.

Rey nodded, joyful tears running down her face. Ben looked confused yet also immensely relieved. He gazed back at Rey, and seeing her tears, reaching forward to gently wipe them from her face, cupping her cheek tenderly in gratitude. For the first time since she’d known him, Rey watched as a warm smile appeared on Ben’s face. Rey's heart leaped with joy as she smiled back, cupping Ben’s face within her hands and not wanting to let him go.

Then, without hesitation, Rey leaned forward and gave him a passionate kiss. Ben inhaled sharply and immediately reciprocated the kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around Rey. She in turn slid her hand up through his hair and along the back of his head, tilting hers as she parted her lips for him, deepened their kiss further. 

Ben pulled Rey into his lap, holding her as close to him as possible, caressing her while Rey melted lovingly into his arms. In that one happy moment, time seemed to have finally stood still for them. Nothing else around them mattered. There were no sides to fight for or against to keep them apart. It was just them, together, holding and kissing each other as if they'd been waiting for this moment to happen their whole lives. 

Their kiss was so intense, that they almost forgot about the ongoing battle in the space above them. Pulling apart, they gazed softly at each other, until they heard a series of explosions. They looked up to see all the star destroyers getting blown up one by one by the rebellion fleet.

Suddenly reality was crashing down on them again...almost literally.

“All that wreckage will come crashing down on us soon,” Rey said before standing up and extended her hand to Ben. “Come with me. We can escape and regroup with the others at the rebel base-"

“Rey wait-” Ben protested, only for Rey to grab his hand and pull him up.

“We can’t wait, we need to get out of here,” Rey said urgently, keeping her grip on him as she attempted to lead him away. “My ship is nearby but it only fits one person. Perhaps if I make room-"

“Rey, please listen!” Ben said pulling her back and stopping her in her tracks. “I…I can’t go with you. Not to the rebels.”

“What are you talking about?” Rey asked, suddenly looking scared. “Don’t tell me you’re going to head off on your own? We just saved each other from death, and now you want to separate and leave me again?”

“No, of course I don’t...but you need to understand. Taking me back to the Resistance with you will lead to us getting separated again.” Ben explained. “What do you think will happen when you and I show up at the rebel base together, holding hands like this? Your comrades will think I either captured you or turned you traitor.”

Rey paused for a moment, looking at their joined hands as she understood his point. “Alright yes, I can see how that would be problematic…but they’re my friends. I can explain to them how you switched sides to save me and defeat the Emperor. Now that he and the First Order are defeated, they'll know you’re free from their influence forever.”

“No…I’m not…" Ben shook his head sadly. "Despite Snoke’s influence, many of the awful things that happened were still of my own doing. With the Order and Palpatine gone, all the blame and punishment will fall on me.” Ben paused before continuing. “I know you see me as Ben Solo now, but everyone else still sees me as Kylo Ren; A man who killed his own father and destroyed hundreds, if not millions of innocent lives. Every being in the galaxy will want me to pay for my part in this war. The moment I set foot on that base, the rebels will have me arrested and sentenced for my war crimes. At best, they’ll lock me away forever. At worst, have me executed. One way or another, they will separate us again, and then that'll be the end of us. Not even the force will be able to stop it.”

Rey shook her head. “No…no I won’t let them. I know you did awful things, but you’ve changed. You came back to the light. You helped defeat the Emperor and prevented his return. That has to count for something-“

“But I didn’t. You did Rey.” Ben pointed out. “And even if that weren’t the case, it wouldn’t matter in the slightest. Not to the survivors of the planets I helped destroy, or the rebels whose friends and family I’ve killed. They’ll demand I answer for my crimes…” Ben looked down guiltily. “And after all the hurt and destruction I caused, perhaps I should…at least that way I can offer some sort of penance for my actions...and it’ll prevent you from being dragged down with me.”

Panic raced through Rey as she realized the gravity of their situation. No matter how she looked at it, Ben’s fate was sealed the second he was discovered by the Resistance. As much as she yearned to get back to her comrades, she couldn’t bear the thought of losing Ben again. She had kept the vision of him returning to the light with her for so long, that she now refused to let it go. 

Yet Rey knew what Ben said was true. If she advocated on his behalf, despite everything she'd done for the Resistance, they would not believe her or allow her to plead for Ben's life. Or worse, they'd accuse her of conspiring with him and label her a traitor. Even Finn and Poe, with their checkered pasts, would have a hard time buying that she would plead for the life a man who up until a few hours ago, had been hunting her across the galaxy with the intent to kill her. If Leia were still around she would've understood. As of now though, no one in the Resistance would buy Ben's sudden turn or change of heart nor allow him to go unpunished for it. He was done for. Unless... 

It was at that moment, despite knowing everything it would cost her, Rey made her decision on what she had to do.

Ben stared down sadly as he felt Rey grasped both his hands. He looked up into her eyes, which were sad yet determined. 

“In that case…let’s leave this place at once. Together. Away from the Resistance, away from the rebel base…away from everything.”

Ben looked at her in surprise. “What are you saying?”

“Let’s run away together Ben. Far away.” Rey stated, squeezing his hands tightly as she stood closer to him. “We’ll travel the galaxy, find some far-off planet, and start a new life, just you and me. Make sure no one ever finds us. A place where we can hide and protect each other. Somewhere you'll be safe.”

Ben looked conflicted, shaking his head slightly at the ludicrous yet alluring nature of her plan. “No...no, Rey I can’t let you do that. You can’t exile yourself from everything you know and love for my sake. It's too much. I…I couldn’t ask that of you.”

“You don’t have to,” Rey said, raising a hand to his face and caressing his cheek. "I want to do this. Whatever it takes to save you from an awful fate, I'm willing to do it. I...I want to be with you, Ben." 

Ben closed his eyes for a moment, savoring both her words and her touch, struggling with the conflict of both trying to talk her out of it and begging her to go through with it.

“But the rebels…they’re your family. How could you leave your family to run off with…with a monster like me?”

Rey looked at him sympathetically, continuing to caress him gently. “You have done monstrous things Ben…but that doesn’t make you one. As far as I’m concerned, the real monster is gone now. You got rid of him, and you did so on your own. And in doing so, you've shown me the true light in your heart. After everything you willingly gave up to save me, it seems only fair that I do the same for you.” 

She leaned forward kissing him gently on the cheek. Ben looked at her in wonder, feeling himself tremble as she stared deeply into his eyes. "You would really leave it all behind...for me? After everything I put you through? After all the...unforgivable things I've done?"

Rey nodded. "I would. And I will. Despite how we started and all that we've been through, I would still want to. I've dreamed about you coming back to the light and us being together. The visions I saw of what we could be, of what we could have...now that you've found your way back to me, I'd be a fool to give all that up."

Ben's breathing picked up, scarcely able to believe what she was telling him. He felt like he was in a dream. His heart was racing so fast he was sure he'd keel over again. Gently he placed his hands on her arms, as if trying to steady himself and prove she was actually there and not part of some illusion. 

Rey blushed up at him. "And for what it's worth...I do forgive you. Even if the rest of the galaxy never will, even if you never forgive yourself...I still do. I just wanted you to know that."

Ben let out a shuttered breath, tightening his grip on her arms as he looked down, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. Yet he forced himself to reel back a little, still wanting to give her the option of changing her mind over this life-changing decision. 

"You...you're sure about this? Really sure? Even if means you never see any of them again?"

Rey lifted Ben's chin so their eyes met again. "As I said, the rebels are indeed my family…and now, so are you. With the war finally over, they’ll no longer need my protection. You will though. And I swear, even if it takes the rest of our lives, I will spend it fighting to keep you safe. So long as you stay by my side, so will I stay by yours.”

Ben’s chin quivered slightly, touched by Rey’s bold declaration of loyalty. Overwhelmed by her devotion, Ben pulled her into a tight hug, holding her close and pressing his face in the crook of her neck. 

Rey quickly reciprocated the hug, laying her head against his shoulder and stroking his back reassuringly. After a moment, Ben pulled away slightly, cupping Rey's face in his hands and pressing his forehead against hers, gently caressing her cheek with his thumb.

“If we’re to do this, then I make a solemn vow to you here and now…so long as there is breath left in my body, I will protect you and remain by your side, from now until we are both one with the force.” Ben declared, holding her gaze as he stared at her intently.

Now it was Rey’s turn to be moved as she placed her hand over his, gazing up at Ben in adoration. She then pulled down his hand and pressed her lips tenderly against his knuckles. Ben in turn did the same before leaning forward and capturing her lips as they shared in an intimate kiss. Rey pulled him flush against her body, to the point where they could feel each other's heartbeats, both racing fast yet keeping in time with one another's.

They were quickly interrupted however by another batch of explosions. The rebels had destroyed the last of the star destroyers, which were now careening downwards toward the planet.

“We need to get out of here. Now.” Ben said looking upwards before looking back at Rey. “We’ll take my ship. There’s not much room but it fits two people and it has cloaking, so we’ll be able to get away undetected.”

Rey nodded in agreement, quickly following Ben to his ship. Together they escaped the planet before wreckage from the fleet rained down upon it. 

Carefully Ben managed to navigate his way through all the exploding First Order ships. Activating the cloaking device, Ben was able to slip past the rebel fleet and made the jump to light speed.

* * *

Back at the Rebel base on Ajan Kloss, everyone was celebrating their victory over the First Order. The entire fleet and all the star killers had been destroyed, Palpatine had been defeated and the galaxy was finally free from their reign of terror. People were cheering and embracing, overjoyed that the whole ordeal was finally over. 

Everyone that is, except for one former stormtrooper, who sat alone somberly away from the celebration. 

Finn glanced sadly at his hands, mourning the loss of Rey whose presence he felt fade away as she fought the Emperor on Exegol. A small team had tried going to the planet surface to search for her, but by that time the temple had been destroyed by falling debris from the First Order ships. The only proof that Rey had been there was her ship, which sat empty and partially damaged from the falling debris. It became clear to everyone that the last Jedi had made the ultimate sacrifice to save them all, something they made sure to honor when holding a moment of silence for everyone they'd lost in battle.

BB-8 rolled up and beeped sadly at Finn, who in turn gave it a small pat on the head. 

“I know BB-8…I know…” Finn said mournfully.

"Hey, buddy.”

Finn turned to see Poe, standing nearby. “How you holding up?”

Finn looked down. “How do you think.”

Poe glanced sadly at Finn, sitting beside him for a moment before putting a comforting arm around him and leaning onto his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. “I know. I miss her too. But we did the best we could to help her. Rey…she knew what she was getting into and chose her own path. She helped save everyone, even at the cost of herself.”

Finn shook his head. “I’m just…having a hard time believing she’s gone. Usually, I get this feeling whenever she’s nearby. It disappeared during the battle but now…I can still kind of feel it. Like, she’s just out of reach somewhere…”

Poe looked at his friend sympathetically. “Well, she was a Jedi. They’re always going on about the force and how it surrounds us so maybe…maybe that’s what your feeling. What’s that thing that Leia would say…' No one’s ever really gone’?”

Finn nodded. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Poe smiled and patted Finn’s shoulder a few times. “When you’re ready, come join us. I know a lot of rebels that are very eager to give you their gratitude.”

Finn nodded, waiting till Poe had gotten up and left before letting out a sigh. “What do you think BB-8? Should we join up with everyone?”

BB-8 let out a series of beeps. Finn nodded. “You're right. Let’s take our time getting back.” He then stood up and together and two casually walked back towards the celebration.

Finn had only taken a few steps however when he stopped, as he felt the surge of a familiar presence nearby. “Rey?”

He looked around but saw no one. He then felt it again, only stronger this time. Looking to his right, he was shocked to see a faded projection of Rey's body.

_"Finn..."_

Then as quickly as it appeared, it was gone. Finn could hardly believe it. Even though it only lasted a moment, he felt her familiar presence return. 

Which meant...

BB-8 beeped questioningly at Finn, who suddenly smiled and looked determinedly down at the droid.

“She’s alive BB-8…and we’re going to find her.”

* * *

Meanwhile on Kef Bir, on a cliffside overlooking the rough sea where the Death Star wreckage resided, Rey sat on the ground outside of Ben’s ship in deep meditation. Using her force powers, she struggled to see toward the rebel base, hoping to get a glimpse of her comrades. 

Though her connection was not the strongest, she was able to see the rebels celebrating their victory, including Poe, Chewbacca, Lando, Maz, Rose, R2-D2, and C-3P0. She couldn’t see Finn and BB-8 though, as they seem to have separated from the group but she could still vaguely sense them.

Seeing that her closest friends had survived the battle filled Rey with immense relief. Yet also with a pang of deep sadness, as she realized she’d never get to see any of them again. Her force powers could only go so far and soon she would be light years away from everyone. While Rey wished desperately that she could at least say goodbye, as far as they knew, she had died back on Exegol. And that’s how she wanted to keep it.

_“Rey?”_

Rey opened her eyes at the familiar voice. Was that Finn? Had he called out to her?

Standing up, Rey focused toward the area of space where the planet Ajan Kloss was located. Staring up at it intently, Rey once again tried to see towards the planet, concentrating hard in the hopes she could spot Finn. When she couldn't pinpoint his location, she focused even more. 

Her body then started to fade a bit the harder she concentrated on Finn's presence.

_"Finn?"_

“Rey, I’m back. I found some supplies for our…journey…”

Ben had returned, holding a satchel full of items he had gathered. He stopped when he saw Rey stand up from her mediation and was now looking intently towards the empty sky. 

Ben put the supplies down by the ship and quietly walked up behind Rey, who continued to stare upwards. Although nothing was there, Ben could sense that she was using her force powers to try and reach toward a place off-planet, most likely the location of where her rebel comrades resided.

After they stopped on the planet to refuel, Rey had begged him for a chance to use the force to check in on her friends, so she could at least confirm their survival. Ben, feeling guilty over everything she was giving up to be with him, had of course complied, given they would soon be too far away from the rebel base to do so. 

In the meantime, he had gathered some supplies from a nearby abandoned dwelling, hoping it’d tie them over until they arrived on a more civilized planet. 

Ben grew worried as he watched Rey, whose eyes had glazed over as she seemed to be straining herself in an attempt to maintain the mental connection. Rey’s body was now visibly shaking from the immense frustration growing within her. 

It wasn't till she started fading away that Ben panicked and stepped in.

“Rey!?”

Ben firmly grabbed her shoulders to regain her attention. The move seemed to work as Rey blinked, finally breaking her stern eye contact as her body stopped trembling and re-solidified. She took a few deep breathes, stumbling back at the fatigue hit her. 

Ben steadied her against his body as she gradually relaxed her limbs, regaining a sense of herself again. Rey looked back at Ben's concerned face and breathed a deep sigh, indicating both relief and frustration.

"Are you okay?" Ben asked. "What were you-Rey, it's dangerous to project yourself like that. It could've killed you."

Rey said nothing at first, taking steadying breaths before responding.

“I saw them. Most of them. They survived.” Rey confirmed. “I tried to see more, tried to reach out but…I couldn’t maintain the connection. I thought if I pushed a little more I could...” She looked down sadly as if disappointed with herself.

Wanting to comfort her, Ben relaxed his grip and started gently caressing her shoulders. He held her close, tilting his head next to hers and leaning his cheek against her own. Rey closed her eyes, leaning back against him as she reached up to grasp Ben’s hand, stroking his fingers and relishing in their intimacy as well as the warmth of his touch. 

“It’s not too late you know,” Ben said, whispering softly in her ear. “You could still rejoin them if you wanted. I won’t stop you.”

Rey said nothing for a moment, before opening her eyes again. “I know you wouldn’t…but…do you really want me to?” She turned to look at him, anxiously awaiting his answer. 

Ben quickly shook his head. “Of course I don’t. I’d never want you to leave my side. I just… don't want this to be something you’ll regret later. Understand that if we do this, you and I will be on the run throughout the galaxy from everyone…forever.”

Although a little sad at the thought, Rey knew it was for the best and gave Ben an optimistic, reassuring look as she reached up to stroke his face. 

“Well…I did always want to explore the galaxy. Visit different planets at my leisure. Never really had the chance to do that before in my time with the Resistance. You’ll show them to me right?”

“Of course.” Ben nodded. “Anywhere you want to go.” 

Rey’s smile grew. “In that case, there’s only one real regret I have in doing this…”

“And what’s that?” Ben asked.

Rey smirked. “That you didn’t steal a bigger ship.”

The corner of Ben’s mouth tugged into a crooked smile as he let a small chuckle. Rey laughed as well, wrapping her arms around him, holding him close and snuggling against his neck. Ben in turn pulled her into a tight hug, holding her against him in an almost possessive manner. 

“Just promise me one thing Ben,” Rey asked, maintaining her hold on him.

“Anything,” Ben responded.

“We do everything together,” Rey said, tightening her grip as she said it. “Neither of us will abandon the other, or let the other feel alone ever again.”

Ben paused, pulling away slightly. Rey looked up into his face, almost fearful of his answer. Ben however gazed lovingly upon her before cupping her face and resting his forehead against hers.

“I promise you. Together always.” He responded. “No matter what.”

Rey looked immensely relieved, smiling as a tear slid down her face. Ben pulled back slightly, wiping her tear before quickly capturing Rey’s lips. 

Rey in turn kissed Ben back, holding onto his shirt while he slid his fingers into her hair. Their kiss quickly intensified, with Ben deepening the kiss, causing Rey to moan softly against his lips. This prompted him to moan back, sliding his hand down her body and around her waist, pulling her even closer to him. Rey could feel herself grow warm and bothered as her body pressed further against Ben's, feeling his toned muscles and abs even through his shirt. Ben in turn slid his hands all over Rey's body, feeling the firm curves on her athletic form, and relishing in the soft smoothness of her skin. 

Their passions ignited to such a point that Rey had to break the kiss, both for lack of air as well as to stop themselves from carrying it too far. Even then, their lips still lingered closely to one another, swollen and heated, desperate to meet again. Ben stared at her breathlessly, the desire clear in his eyes. Rey, despite her equal desire to continue, knew they had to make their getaway soon while they still had the chance to leave undetected.

“Shall we continue this…elsewhere?” Rey asked, breathing roughly.

Ben lingered close to her, taking a moment to remember where they were and what they were doing, before nodding. “Yes. Of course. Sorry...”

Relieved, Rey gave him one last kiss before reluctantly pulling away, grasping Ben’s hand and leading him toward the ship. 

They had only gotten a few steps however when Ben stopped in place. 

“Rey?”

Rey turned toward him curiously. “Yes?”

Ben paused, looking upon her for a moment before speaking. “I love you.”

Rey blushed, gazing at Ben before giving him a teasing smile. “I know.”

Ben perked up, smiling back at Rey who gestured him toward the ship. Ben quickly followed, gathering up the supplies as the two entered the ship and left the planet behind for good, setting off into space in search of a new place to call home. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn searches for Rey and finally picks up her trail years later, on a familiar desert planet in the outer rim.

Chapter 2

Five years had passed since the war ended at the battle of Exegol. 

The Resistance went on to become part of the New Republic, helping to rebuild all the worlds that had been affected by the First Order. All of its members remained vital parts of the reconstruction period, delivering goods and supplies, building new homes, freeing the oppressed, and helping to overthrow the corrupted officials still loyal to the prior regime. However, while most of the rebels had managed to settle into their new roles, one particular General remained uneasy with his new position, unable to fully devote himself to his duties because of one mystery he longed to solve.

_“This is General Poe Dameron calling in. Do you copy General?”_

Finn looked down at the flight panel where the slightly static voice was coming from. He, along with BB-8, had just finished a drop-off mission on a nearby planet and was now flying his ship through the Outer Rim.

During his time in helping to rebuild the New Republic, Finn had traveled to many, many planets, usually on a mission of diplomacy, as well as to help deliver supplies to planets that were rebuilding. This time, however, he was flying to this particular planet of his own volition, with his own agenda in mind.

_“This is General Poe Dameron calling in. Are you there Finn?”_

Finn touched a button on the transmission console, patching Poe through. “I’m here Poe.”

_“Finn, where are you? You should’ve returned from your delivery by now.”_

“Sorry, I got a bit sidetracked. The supplies have been delivered, so I’m just gonna take a quick detour before I head back.”

_“This ‘detour’ wouldn’t happen to involve chasing after that certain ‘feeling’ you used to get around a certain ‘someone’ would it?”_

Finn held his tongue, having had this argument with Poe many times over the years.

Ever since Finn felt Rey’s presence re-emerge following the battle of Exegol, he had made it his personal mission to find her, having gone off on dozens upon dozens of expeditions to search for her, with only his force abilities to guide him. While Poe remained convinced Finn was only sensing Rey out of grief, Finn continued to pick up on her presence wherever he’d traveled for months afterward, usually in different capacities on different planets. Every time it happened, Finn would immediately follow the pull of his instincts, and yet every time it seemed he was getting close, the feeling would suddenly disappear again.

This went on for nearly a year before one day, Finn lost the trail entirely. He spent the better part of the next two years trying to pick it up again, even training himself in meditation to better focus his force powers, but her presence seemed to be gone for good. 

Naturally, this disappointed and upset Finn, who often wished he had told Rey about his newfound abilities when he had the chance. At least then he could’ve trained with her so he could use them at a better capacity. Knowing there was nothing more he could do, Finn went into a deep depression for a time, feeling as if he failed Rey. 

Poe, in an attempt to comfort and be supportive of Finn, tried helping him out of his funk by focusing on other things, like settling new planets for refugees and rehabilitating former stormtroopers. Poe would often bring Finn along on his rounds through the science and med bay facilities and had him sit in on various meetings so he was always kept in the loop. Poe even scheduled their general duties at the same time so they'd always work on tasks together. Eventually, Poe ended moved all of his things into Finn's place just so he wouldn’t be lonely outside work.

While Finn appreciated a lot of what Poe did, he just couldn’t fully focus on helping him rebuild and create peace in the galaxy. At least, not until he found some peace for himself. Part of him just couldn’t shake the feeling that Rey was still out there somewhere. A feeling that resurfaced suddenly for the first time in years, this time while he was making that drop off delivery near the Outer Rim. After dropping off the cargo, Finn followed his instinct and made the detour toward a certain desert planet in the outer system, neglecting once again to tell Poe his plans in the process, much to the others' irritation.

 _“Finn be real with me…are you out looking for Rey again?”_ Poe asked bluntly.

Finn paused for a moment. “Maybe…”

Poe sighed in frustration. _“Come on man, it’s been years now. When are you gonna accept that she’s gone? You’re not gonna find her anywhere out there. Please just…just come home so we can discuss this.”_

“I know you think I sound crazy but…I just…I just need to check this out. For my own peace of mind. I’ll call you back once I’m done.”

_“I don’t know Finn…I’m not sure how much longer I can keep supporting this. I made you my right-hand General cause I thought you and I…that we’d be able to accomplish things together. But you’ve been so obsessed and distracted with this search, I just…it’s starting to feel like you’d rather be anywhere else than with me…”_

Finn could sense the hurt in Poe’s voice and felt guilty. Wanting to alleviate it, he decided on a compromise. “How about this? Let me make this one last stop. If I don’t find anything, I’ll call it quits and come straight home.”

_“Yeah, where’ve I heard that before?”_

“No, I mean it this time. If I don’t find anything on this planet then…I’m done. No more searching, no more following my gut. I’ll make sure to leave and come straight back to you. You won't have to worry about me running off anymore after this.”

A long stretch of silence followed, as if Poe were debating whether or not Finn was actually telling the truth.

_“Do you promise?”_

“I promise you, Poe,” Finn confirmed. “One last time, then that's it.”

There was another pause, followed by Poe speaking in a slightly softer tone.

_“Alright then. I’ll wait for your call. Take care buddy.”_

“Thanks Poe. Over and out.” Finn then turned off communications as he entered the new star system.

In the back of his ship, BB-8 beeped as the planet of Tatooine came into view.

“I see it BB-8. Preparing ship for landing.” Finn said as they started making their descent.

* * *

Shortly after landing in Mos Eisley spaceport, Finn disguised himself as a common pilot, bringing along BB-8 to help gather supplies while they began their search within the main marketplace.

“Stay alert BB-8. Lots of unsavory characters around here.” Finn said, adjusting his helmet as BB-8 beeped in response.

Trying to look casual, Finn strolled up to a nearby food stand, which was headed by a leathery green-face reptilian alien.

“Excuse me, sir. Have you seen a young, human woman around here? About this tall, brown hair, hazel eyes, wields a double-sided staff?” Finn asked.

The alien answered back angrily in its native language, apparently shooing Finn away from his stand.

“Alright then. Thanks for your time.” Finn responded before walking away.

He went to the next food stand which was run by a tan-skinned being with pointed ears and tentacles that ran down its face like a beard.

“Excuse me, sir. Have you seen a young, human woman around here? About this tall, brown hair, hazel eyes-“

“Keep on moving!” The guy sneered at him.

“Alrighty,” Finn said, walking away from him as well to the next stand, which was run by a brown-skinned creature with a cone-shaped head and gas mask, selling various weapons. “Excuse me-“

The creature said nothing, holding up a gun and cocking it towards Finn.

“Alright, alright! I get it!” Finn said immediately backing away as he walked quickly away from the stands with BB-8 in tow. “Sheesh… can't a guy ask a question without getting shot around here?”

Most of the day went on like that for Finn. Despite the dangers, Finn continued to ask the local merchants, junk dealers, and even the local bartenders if they’d seen Rey, to which he either received a no, a threat, or what he believed to be some sort of alien cursing. 

It wasn’t until he visited one particular bar that Finn finally discovered some information. Just not the kind he had been looking for.

“Hey, barkeep,” Finn called out, as he walked into a cantina and leaned on the counter. “I’m looking for a human girl, about this tall, brown hair, hazel eyes, carries a double-sided staff. Seen anyone in here like that?”

The surly-looking bartender chuckled. “No, but buy enough drinks and I’m sure one of the girls here will turn into her.”

Finn rolled his eyes as the bartender laughed to himself, before suddenly grabbing Finn by the scruff of his shirt.

“That wasn’t a joke. Buy something or I’m kicking you and that droid out.” The bartender said, gesturing to BB-8, who beeped angrily in response.

Finn held up his hand to silence BB-8 and nodded. “It’s fine. I was feeling thirsty anyways.” He tossed the man some coins. “I’ll take a pint.”

The bartender released him and proceeded to pour a drink for Finn, who drank the ill-tasting brew reluctantly, flinching at the sight of his dirty cup as he did so.

Just then he heard loud metal stomping behind him. Finn turned and was surprised to see an IG assassin droid entering the bar, scanning around the area before walking toward the counter.

The barkeep noticed it too and seemed to be on guard as the droid approached. “Hey now, stay where you are. I don’t want any trouble in here!”

 **“I seek a path to Mos Espa.”** The droid replied in a stiff, robotic voice. **“I require directions for the nearest road.”**

“I don’t give out anything for free.” The barkeep replied. “Either pay up or get out.”

The droid paused before reaching back over its shoulder. Finn and the barkeep backed away from the gesture but then relaxed as the droid pulled out a stack of metal credits, which it slammed onto the counter.

 **“Directions. Now.”** The droid replied.

Finn blinked in surprise at the currency and looked properly at the droid, which was sporting an engraved New Republic insignia on its arm along with its name; _IG-66_.

Finn also couldn’t help but notice a couple of unusual modifications on the droid as well, namely that it seemed to be sporting battle droid armor on top of an alarming number of weapons, many of which were hidden within its limbs. Given that the New Republic didn’t use assassin droids, Finn couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

The barkeep looked at the large sum and nodded. “Alright then. It’s six clicks north of here, followed by four clicks to the west. Just follow the canyons and you’ll get there eventually.”

 **“Acknowledged.”** IG-66 nodded as it turned to leave. Waiting until the barkeep had walked away, Finn chased after the droid.

“Wait up,” Finn said, catching up to IG-66 which turned towards him. “You’re a modified assassin droid sent by the Republic, right?”

 **“That information is classified.”** The droid stated.

“Come on man, I see the mark and the currency you just used. It’s alright, I’m from the Republic too. So spill.” Finn commanded. “What’s a modified assassin droid doing on a planet like this?”

 **“That information is classified,”** IG-66 repeated. **“Only my programmers and those with Republic authority may have access.”**

“Well in that case, how about this?” Finn replied, holding up his Republic General badge he had hidden in his pocket. “That authority enough for ya?”

The droid paused, scanning Finn’s badge, along with Finn himself. After a few seconds, its sensors beeped in confirmation. **“Identification verified: General Finn of the New Republic. Authority is accepted.”**

“Good. Now then, tell me exactly what the Republic sent you out here for, and why you have all those fancy upgrades.” Finn asked, gesturing to IG-66’s limbs.

 **“I was modified and reprogrammed into a loyal servant droid by a sect of the New Republic army, looking to wipe out the last remaining remnants of the First Order,”** IG-66 replied. **“It is believed that for peace to be achieved, any lasting elements of the former regime must be eliminated to prevent a resurgence.”**

“So, you’re out here hunting down First Order guys?” Finn asked, looking bewildered. “I didn’t think there were any left after the trials.”

**“Affirmative. Most have either been imprisoned or executed. However, a select few remain unaccounted for. The highest level of threat, for which I am currently searching and have been upgraded to combat against, being the former Supreme Leader.”**

The droid then projected a hologram from its scanner of Kylo Ren, along with the words _‘Location Unknown._ ’

Finn’s blood ran cold as he gazed upon the dark-haired man, a wave of familiar anger now bubbling up within him. 

He hadn’t seen Kylo Ren since witnessing the lightsaber duel between him and Rey on Kef Bir all those years ago. In fact, that was also the last time Finn laid eyes on Rey. He had always assumed Rey had defeated Ren and that his body had been lost to the planet's vast ocean, even though Finn never actually saw the end of their fight. The thought that Ren might still be out there though, possibly hunting Rey as he did before, only fueled Finn’s desire to find Rey even more.

 **“My orders are to track down and eliminate the fugitive,”** IG-66 said, turning off the projection. **“A previous lesser version of myself seemed to have picked up a potential trail on this planet, but went offline before coordinates were sent.”**

“I see. Well, good to know the Republic’s putting your skills to good use in that regard. In which case, I’ll leave you to your mission. Best of luck. I doubt the guy’s still alive, given how long it’s been.” Finn said, realizing the irony of his words. “Still if you do see him though…shoot him once for me.”

 **“I cannot accept orders other than ones from my programmer.”** The droid stated.

“Consider it a request from a high ranking General then.” Finn clarified.

 **“I will take said request under consideration.”** IG-66 acknowledged. **“I must now continue my mission. Good day General.”**

The droid turned and walked out of the bar. BB-8 rolled up to Finn cautiously, beeping questioningly.

“Do I think he’s still alive? Doubtful.” Finn answered, thinking for a moment. “Then again…if Rey’s here, then I suppose anything is possible. Hopefully, the two haven’t crossed paths yet…”

* * *

Soon the day passed, and Finn was nowhere close to finding out where Rey was. He spent the night at a lodge and resumed his search the following day, only to once again get no leads. It frustrated Finn as he kept feeling the familiar pull, but couldn’t figure out exactly which direction it was coming from. He even tried meditating to help himself focus, but the pull seemed to keep disappearing and reappearing at random. It didn’t help that the locals were less than helpful and Finn kept having to dish out credits just to get a response.

“Girl wielding a double staff?”

“Sorry no.”

“Thanks for your help,” Finn said before handing the woman coins for food.

As Finn went to sit in a nearby ally to eat his lunch in peace, a small blue child with spikes on his head wandered in front of him. “I saw a lady with a double staff.”

Finn lowered his sandwich, wondering if he possibly found his lead. “Really? Do you know where she is?”

“First, give me your food. Then I’ll tell ya.” The kid demanded.

Finn of course was no fool and held onto his lunch. “I’ll give you half, and only after you tell me which direction she comes from.”

The kid sighed but relented. “Fine. She comes from that canyon region in the south. I know cause I see her sell some of those moisture canisters that come from the desert farms. Usually, she sells them and pieces of scrap metal in the marketplace for food and supplies. Sometimes she even shares her food with me for free. And sometimes, I see her talking to herself. Really weird lady.”

“South canyons…alright then.” Finn nodded and handed the boy his entire sandwich. “Thanks, kid.”

“Wow, thanks mister!” The kid shouted taking the sandwich and eagerly running off. “Good luck! Hope you don’t die out there!”

Finn headed back to his rented lodge, grabbing his things and turning off BB-8’s sleep mode.

“We have a lead BB-8. South canyon. You up for it?” He asked.

BB-8 beeped in response, rolling his way towards the door. 

Quickly the two left the lodge, grabbing more supplies on their way out along with a rented land speeder. Once fueled up, they left the city of Mos Eisley, hoping this time his new lead would bring them closer to Rey.

* * *

Hours had passed since Finn left and he felt like he was going around in circles. The canyons he discovered, were more like an endless stone maze that got more confusing the deeper he traveled into it. Every turn seemed to send him in a new direction and because of the dual suns, he couldn’t tell east from west or north from south. The heat was also stifling and got to Finn at times. He had almost gone through a whole canteen of water by the time the suns began to set.

“Man…I should’ve invested in a different hat or something…” He grumbled as he parked the land speeder and went to sit down in the shade, removing his helmet. BB-8 rolled out of the speeder and went up to him, beeping questioningly.

“I’m not sure what we’ll do when night falls. Probably find a cave or something. Start fresh in the morning.”

BB-8 beeped at him again, this time more urgently while Finn took a swig from his canteen.

“Yeah I know it’s not a good plan. But I’m tired and overheated, and the only way we can navigate is to climb up those cliffs so we can get a view of everything. At least so far we haven’t run into any hostiles-“

***BANG***

Finn’s canteen was shot out of his hand. He looked up and sure enough saw a creature he’d been dreading since entering the canyon. “Oh jeez, not Tusken Raiders!”

The Raider let out a battle cry and aimed its gun at Finn, who ducked out of the way. BB-8 quickly rolled off in the other direction with Finn following quickly behind. The Tusken Raider continued to shoot in his direction, thankfully missing its target.

Finn raced through the canyon, trying to outrun the sniper which shot at his heels. As he turned a corner, he pulled out his blaster, waiting until the shots died down to jump out and shoot. Sure enough, after two shots, he nailed the Raider right in the head.

“BB-8, let’s go!” Finn yelled, shoving his helmet back on as the droid cautiously rolled out and chased after him toward the speeder.

Before he got too far, Finn ran smack dab into another Raider which knocked him to the ground with the butt of its gun. Finn dropped his blaster and tried scrambling for it, only for two more Raiders to show up, letting out battle cries as they prepared to fire upon Finn. BB-8 rolled in front, unleashing its tasers to defend Finn and shocking back both of the Raiders. The other raider knocked BB-8 aside, sending the droid bouncing disorientedly behind a rock. The Raider let out its own cry as it lifted its weapon once more to fire upon Finn, who continued to reach desperately for his blaster.

Suddenly the Raider stopped screaming. Finn looked up curiously and was amazed to see the Raider grabbing its throat as if it were choking. It then floated in midair, struggling to move and distracting the other Tusken Raiders who seemed just as confused.

Suddenly, the Raider was slammed hard right into the side of the cliff.

The other Tusken Raiders looked around in confusion before two more were knocked backward by an invisible force. Both were then slammed straight into a nearby cliff, rendering them unconscious.

The remaining Tusken Raiders immediately ran away, scurrying past Finn who looked around in confusion for what they were running from. 

Gazing off in the distance, he was shocked to see a cloaked figure standing alone on a solo speeder, wearing a face mask similar to the Raiders. Their hand was raised high towards his direction. Slung over their shoulder by a strap, was a double-sided staff.

“Rey?” Finn asked out loud.

Before he could react, the cloaked figure lowered their hand and turned the speeder, heading in the opposite direction.

“Wait! Stop!” Finn yelled as he chased after the cloaked figure. BB-8 came out from behind the rock, shaking itself off before promptly chased after Finn.

Finn chased the cloaked figure deeper into the canyon. Despite them having a head start, Finn was able to follow by using his force powers, knowing it was indeed the same presence he had sensed from the beginning.

Finally, the cloaked figure reached a dead end which had no clear exit route in sight. Just as Finn was about to catch up, huffing and puffing, the cloaked figured raised their hand and a rock platform appeared out of the side of the cliff. 

They drove the speeder up the ramp and were halfway up the wall by the time Finn reached the bottom. Finn stepped on a rock platform hesitantly before quickly climbing upwards. BB-8 sat at the bottom, beeping warningly up at Finn, who continued upwards.

Overhead, the figure reached the top and waved their hand again, causing the platform to retract back into the wall. Feeling the ramp shake, Finn quickly raced his way up, grabbing onto the top of the cliff before it completely disappeared and pulled himself up.

Finn sat on his hands and knees, letting out a few rough breaths, his exhaustion starting to catch up with him before he got shakily to his feet. He was now on top of a small cliff, which oversaw the canyon and a lot of the bare desert. Looking around, he realized he had lost track of the cloaked figure completely and immediately began searching around for them.

“Hello? Rey?” Finn called out.

He reached the edge of the other side of the cliff, where he spotted in the distance what appeared to be a small farm built within the sand. Finn looked out towards the hut, which was surrounded by piles of discarded, broken down speeders and aircraft, as if someone had been harvesting them for parts.

Just then Finn felt himself get lifted off the ground and was now levitating in the air. Finn gasped in fear as his body lurched back and was now hovering dangerously over the canyon edge and the steep drop on the other side. Finn looked around in a panic until he spotted the mysterious cloaked figure walking toward him with their hand raised.

“Leave this place now. Or die.”

Finn immediately recognized the familiar voice. “Rey? Is that you? AHH!!” He then felt his body spasm as the figure flexed their fingers.

“How do you know about Rey? Reveal yourself!”

“It’s me, Finn! Your friend!” He said quickly. “You know me! Remember, we met on Jakku years ago back when you were just a scavenger and I was a stormtrooper!”

The figured paused, arching their fingers and causing Finn to float back towards them, away from the drop-off. Flexing their pointer finger up, Finn felt his helmet lift off his head, fully revealing his face.

The cloaked figure gasped and released their hold, causing Finn to land back on solid ground. Finn let out a sigh of relief as the figure approached him.

They reached up and removed the mask, revealing the female scavenger underneath that Finn knew so well. “Finn?”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn finally finds Rey and learns the truth about why she left all those years ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanted to give a quick shout out and thank you for all the comments and kudos so far. Really do appreciate all of them ^^ Can't believe how many views this got already so thank you one and all!
> 
> Just a heads up, this chapter is a little dialog heavy as well as angsty and expository. Don't worry though as I intend to follow it up with some fluff in the next chapter. Hope you still enjoy nonetheless!

Chapter 3

Finn stared back at Rey, hardly able to believe his own eyes as she lowered her hood. She looked exactly the way he remembered her, only with shorter hair and a warmer glow to her face.

“Finn? Is it really you?” Rey asks, her hazel eyes wide with amazement.

Finn let out a shuddered gasp, his hands covering his mouth before he broke into a huge smile. “Rey…”

Rey’s face broke into a huge smile as moved toward him. Finn immediately stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her and embracing her tightly. Rey hugged him back, snuggling against her dear old friend.

“I can’t believe it! Finn!” Rey said pulling back as she looked him over. “Look at you, haven’t changed one bit! What are you doing all the way out here?”

“I could ask you the same thing! Oh man, I missed you damn much!” Finn said as he pulled her into another bone-crushing hug, which she quickly wigged out of.

“Easy, easy now Finn, you’re going to suffocate me at this rate.” She said backing up a little, her hand briefly resting on her middle as she took a few breaths.

“I’m sorry, sorry, I just…I can’t believe you’re actually here!” Finn said, practically bouncing around in excitement. “And alive! Everybody thought you died back on Exegol!”

“Well, they were partially right,” Rey said, causing Finn to look confused. “It’s a long story…”

“Well, tell it to me, please!” Finn said grasping her shoulders. “I’ve been wracking my brain over what happened to you and where you disappeared to. Everyone speculated that you died fighting Palpatine but…something kept telling me you were still out there.”

“Your instincts were right Finn.” Rey nodded. “As to what happened well, as I said, it’s a bit of a long and complicated story.”

Rey then proceeded to tell Finn everything that happened after leaving Kef Bir. Or at least, most of what happened. Everything from her conversation with Luke, to her encounter with the Emperor. How he had almost possessed her in his attempt to resurrect himself, only to be defeated at the last moment thanks to her tapping into her Jedi powers and obliterating him with his own force lightning.

“That’s incredible,” Finn said after listening to her tale with wonder. “I mean I knew you were a powerful Jedi and all but…wow!”

Rey chuckled at his response. “I miss seeing your excitable reactions.”

“I miss seeing yours too Rey. So, so much.” Finn said sincerely, a happy smile overtaking his face again. “I just… can’t believe I was right this whole time! Man, wait till I tell Poe, he is gonna flip! And Chewy and Rose and Lando! They’ll all be so happy to hear you’re alive!”

Rey’s smile disappeared. “Finn-“

“In fact, you should head back with me and tell them yourself!” Finn said, attempting to grab her hand. “Come on, I’ll make room in my ship. We’ll head over to see Poe right now-“

“Finn, wait!” Rey pulled back, looking scared. “I…I can’t!”

Finn’s face fell. “What are you talking about you can’t? Don’t you want to see everyone?”

“Finn, I’m sorry. I truly am really, really happy to see you and I wish I could see the others as well, but…I can’t leave this planet with you.” Rey said shaking her head. “Not ever.”

Finn looked stunned, then confused. “But I…I spent five years looking for you! Nobody believed me but I knew! I was so convinced you were alive, that I searched over a hundred planets, traveled across every star system…I even conversed with criminals in the hope that’d I’d be able to get a lead and bring you back home to us!”

“I know and I appreciate that Finn, I truly do,” Rey said trying to reassure him. “But there’s no way I can go back with you. And you absolutely under no circumstance can tell anyone that I’m here or that I’m even alive.”

“But why not!?” Finn looked confused, then suspicious. “What’s going on? What really happened on Exegol? You didn’t even tell me the whole story, did you?”

“Please try and understand.” Rey pleaded. “Everything that’s happened, everything I left behind…I didn’t do it without good reason-“

“Which is what exactly?” Finn asked, starting a feel a flare of anger. “What good reason could you have for leaving your friends? Please, for the love of all things, explain it to me! Why did you leave everything and everyone you knew and fought so hard for behind? Why do you want people thinking you’re dead? Why’d you never try to contact any of us to at least let us know you’re okay?! Please, Rey, tell me!”

Rey looked conflicted. She couldn’t bring herself to lie to her friend, especially after all the trouble he went through to find her. 

Biting her lip in thought, she turned away. “Follow me.”

Curious, Finn followed Rey toward the other side of the cliff. She stopped at the edge that overlooked the farm Finn had seen before. 

“See that hut out there?”

“What about it?” Finn asked.

“That’s the moisture farm Luke grew up on long ago,” Rey explained. “No one was living here, so it’s now become my new home. The equipment’s ancient but I’ve been able to get some of it to work. Unlike that wretched land speeder, which is always on the fritz. Anything I can’t salvage I sell-off for money and goods.”

“You’re telling me you ran away from the Resistance to live on a moisture farm on Tatooine?” Finn asked arching his eyebrow in disbelief. “Really?”

“Wasn’t exactly my first choice. But I needed a secluded, stable home to live in…especially once they came along.” 

Seeing her stare down at the hut, Finn looked in that direction and got the shock of his life.

Two small children in matching grey tunics had emerged from within the home, both brandishing what looked like small wooden swords and began playfully whacking each other with them. One was a girl with long, jet-black hair, the other a boy with short, wavy, blonde hair. 

Finn watched in confusion until he noted the look on Rey’s face as she gazed lovingly down upon them. “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Whoa, whoa, wait, hold up a sec, are those…your kids?” Finn asked pointing at the children.

Rey smiled and nodded. “Indeed. Twins actually, though obviously not identical. That’s my daughter Anni, and my son Fin.”

Finn did a double-take before looking pleasantly surprised at Rey. “You named one of your kids after me?”

“Well, you are my best friend. I couldn’t think of a better name I wanted for a boy.” She said smirking at him.

Finn let out a shuddered breath of amazement. “Wow…I-I can’t believe it! My best friend Rey, the former scavenger turned Jedi, now a mom of two.”

Rey’s smile grew as she undid the front of her cloak. “Actually…it’ll soon be three…”

Finn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise as she pulled back her baggy cloak, revealing her very noticeable baby bump under her light grey tunic.

“Oh my…you-you're pregnant too!? Holy-” Finn stuttered before a thought crossed his mind. “Oh crud, I didn’t crush your kid too hard when I was hugging you earlier did I?”

“No, no, it’s alright, we’re both pretty resilient.” She said, caressing her stomach proudly.

Finn let out a laugh, holding his head as he tried processing all the new information. “I-I don’t believe it…you actually have kids! Your own family, right here on Tatooine all this time!”

“Not the whole time…I did travel between planets for at least a year, seeing all the amazing things I didn’t get to during my time with the Resistance,” Rey said, looking fondly. “Although some places I didn’t get to enjoy for very long. For whatever reason, some mysterious force sensor kept following me throughout my journey wherever I went, nearly blowing my cover.”

Rey then side-eyed Finn, who blinked in surprise. “Wait, you’re referring to me? You know that I’m-”

“Well, you’re not exactly subtle.” She pointed out. “I always suspected you were, and after you kept showing up wherever I went, I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence. Unfortunately, that meant I had to learn to detach myself from the force, just to throw you off our trail. It hurt me to do it, but I thought it for the best. Though admittedly it was hard to maintain, especially while I was carrying the twins, given how force-sensitive they both are. Even now, my connection keeps reemerging, mostly due to hormones. It’s probably how you sensed me here.”

“I’ll say. I was barely out of the star system when I sensed you.” Finn confirmed before a thought occurred to him. “So, all those times I traveled to other planets and felt your presence…you were actually there? Why didn’t you ever try to contact me?”

“I was tempted to, really I was. But I ultimately thought against it for safety reasons. I will say though, your persistence was admirable if a tad annoying” Rey said looking back outward. “Especially when you almost interrupted my wedding on Naboo.”

“Your wedding?” It took Finn a moment before he remembered. “That’s right…I had felt something near the lake that day. But you were gone by the time I got there.”

“Of course. My husband made sure of that.” Rey nodded. “Good thing we left, or he’d have throttled you.”

Finn chuckled before suddenly realizing that Rey had a new man in her life as well as children, something that left him both curious and baffled. For as long as he’d known her, Rey never showed interest in anyone, not even him to his past disappointment. Where had she met this new guy? When? What kind of person could be special or lucky enough to have captured Rey’s heart? And why was she keeping her marriage and family a secret? 

“So then…who’s the lucky man that got you to settle down? Anyone I know?” He half-joked casually.

Rey’s face then fell as she suddenly looked down with a sense of fear, which Finn picked up on, causing him to worry. “Rey?” 

“Finn, there’s something you should know-”

Loud laughing then rang out from the kids below as they tackled one another playfully. After the girl finished pinning the boy, she got up and ran toward the opening of their home, leaning in the doorway to shout. “Come on daddy, hurry up!”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.” A deep voice responded as the person emerged from the hut.

Finn’s face fell in horror.

Waltzing out of the hut was none other than Kylo Ren, former leader of the First Order, dressed in a dark grey tunic and holding a long wooden version of his old saber in his hand. Although his hair was slightly shorter and he now sported some facial hair, there was no mistaking the man Finn had once served and nearly fell victim to.

“No…no way…” Finn shook his head in disbelief, backing away as he pointed outward. “It can’t be true…”

“Finn, let me explain-“ Rey turned to him.

“That’s impossible! Kylo Ren is alive!? And here? With you??” Finn exclaimed, turning toward her in realization. “Oh no…please don’t tell me that guy, the former Supreme Leader of the First Order, a man who tried to murder nearly everyone in the galaxy…is your husband!??”

“Please, just listen for a moment-“ Rey pleaded.

“Then that means those two are…” Finn stuttered pointing at the kids, before pointing at Rey’s stomach. “And your carrying his…wow, I need to sit down.”

Rey watched as Finn stumbled away in a daze, dropping to his knees and sitting back against a rock as he rubbed his head in utter disbelief. She went over to join him, sitting across from him in silence as he struggled to come to terms with all the new information. 

After a bit, she tried talking to him again.

“Finn…I know this is a lot to take in-“

“That’s an understatement!” Finn exclaimed, still covering his face with his hands. 

Rey became silent again, sensing his turmoil of emotions, waiting until he calmed down to continue. “It’s not how you think-“

“Then what is it exactly?” Finn asked, finally looking at her. “I mean, Kylo Ren? Really?? You left everything behind for him?? Just...why!?”

“Because I love him, Finn!” Rey responded quickly, trying to control her own emotions. “And he loves me. And because this was the only way I could keep him alive and away from the Republic so we could be together.” 

Finn felt as if a lightsaber had been stabbed through his heart. All those years he spent looking, all those trips through space to nearly a hundred planets, the perils, and difficulties he encountered, all to try and find Rey….only to learn that she had been purposefully hiding from him this whole time, with the man he hated most in the galaxy.

Rey could sense the hatred rising in him, not specifically toward her, and was desperate to calm him. “Finn please…”

“But why Kylo Ren!?” Finn asked after a long pause, intensity building in his voice. “How? When? The last time I saw you both, you were trying to kill each other! And every single time before that, one of you was trying to kill the other! Just…how?? Were you having some secret affair I didn’t know about? For how long?”

“It’s…a little difficult to explain,” Rey admitted. “After I set off on my search for Luke, during that time you and I were separated before the battle of Crait, he and I met in secret and we sort of…well, bonded.” 

“Oh, for crying out loud…” Finn moaned, burying his face in his hands again.

“It’s not in the way you’re thinking, it’s more like a Jedi bond.” She added quickly. “I sensed the light in him, while he sensed the darkness in me. Up until our eventual confrontation on Kef Bir, we had spent that time in between trying unsuccessfully to sway the other to the opposite side…and somehow, despite being enemies, our feelings toward each other grew deeper, even more so than our alignment with the force.”

“But how can you be with him, after everything he’s done!?” Finn asked in disbelief. “After everything he put us through!? You saw him kill Han! He tortured Poe and nearly wiped out most of the Resistance along with his own mother! I watched him slaughter an entire village and destroy dozens of planets! Not to mention he tried to kill me and especially you on at least a dozen different occasions! You even told me once about that vision you had, of the two of you sitting on the dark throne together, and it terrified you!”

“Yes, it did. Being with Kylo Ren did terrify me…but it’s because of the light within him that I’m even here right now.” Rey stated calmly. “Do you remember what you felt that day? When I died back on Exegol?”

Finn thought back to when he felt Rey’s presence vanish and looked at her curiously. “Wait, so when I felt you disappear-”

“It’s true.” Rey nodded. “I did actually die while fighting Palpatine…and Ben sacrificed himself to bring me back. He gave up everything to save my life, so I did the same for him.” 

“Ben?” Finn asked, confused by the name at first. “You’re telling me Kylo Ren…willingly gave his own life to save yours?”

“No. Kylo Ren would never do such a thing. But  _ Ben Solo _ did.” She said, emphasizing his name. “He could’ve let me die and taken Palpatine’s offer to rule the galaxy as the next Emperor, like he originally intended. But he didn’t. Instead, Ben renounced the darkness and fought by my side to defeat Palpatine...all because he loves me.” 

Finn couldn’t doubt the sincerity in her voice, but the anger and resentment he felt just from thinking about Kylo Ren still remained, poisoning any sympathy he might’ve had for Rey’s reasonings and feeding into his own rage.

Rey looked down. “I realize how hard it is to believe or understand, but I assure you he has indeed returned to the light. I know that doesn’t excuse any of his past actions or the awful things he’s done-“

“You’re damn right it doesn’t! None of it does!” Finn said standing up angrily. “Which is why I’m having such a hard time believing how you’d fall for someone like him! You watched him nearly slice me in half, and yet somehow, he was still able to win your heart. I asked you once to run away with me and you refused, yet you did it for him? I know you better than that Rey! How could you expect me to believe you'd willingly leave behind everything you cared about, to be with...with such a monster!?”

“He’s not a monster!” Rey said standing up. 

“Oh please! You and I both know what he’s like and seen what he’s done. I mean, how do I know he didn’t just kidnap you again and is keeping you here against your will? Or that he was the one keeping you from contacting me on those other planets? How do YOU know he hasn’t been tricking you into staying with him this whole time, by either brainwashing you, or is using that Jedi mind control trick, or something-“

“Don’t you DARE suggest such a thing!” Rey said, angrily getting in his face. “He and I love each other, and our children are proof of that! I would not condemn myself or my family to live in isolation on another desert planet if I didn’t believe wholeheartedly that he changed or was worth protecting.”

“Alright fine, you’re right, I’m sorry for suggesting the whole Jedi mind trick thing,” Finn said, immediately backtracking his statement but still looking unconvinced as he ran his hand over his hair. “It’s just…I can’t…I....”

Rey’s anger subsided as she saw the immense turmoil and frustration on Finn’s face, followed by a deep sadness. It was clear he was struggling with not letting his tears flow, taking a deep shaky breath before responding. 

“It’s just…I searched so long for you…spent all my free time and even put my Republic duties on hold to go look for you…Poe always said it was because I felt guilty over not being able to save you on Exegol. On one of the few times he humored my theory about your survival, he presented the possibility that the reason I kept losing track of you was that…you didn’t want to be found. I told him it couldn’t be true because you’d never abandon me like that…but it turns out he was right…”

A tear finally ran down Finn’s cheek and his voice choked with emotion.

Feeling her heart breaking for him, Rey reached over to place a comforting hand on his shoulder, yet he refused to look at her. 

“I just kept thinking…even if that was the case…there’s no way you’d hide from me, because of how close we were. That there was a perfectly good reason and that you’d give me some sort of sign you were okay. But I was wrong again…I just…I loved you so much, Rey. I still do. I would’ve done anything to protect you if I could, even though you’re a million times stronger than me. The fact that you left me alone and avoided me all these years, to be with a man who’d kill you and everyone you cared about without a second thought…it hurts…”

Feeling her own emotions bubble over, Rey’s lips quivered as she pulled Finn to her, hugging him as tightly as she could. Finn broke down in her arms, crying into her shoulder as he held her as close as he could without crushing her or the baby.

For a while, they just stood there, Rey trying to soothe Finn’s surge of emotions without succumbing to them herself. 

Finally, after a few minutes, she spoke softly to him with a sense of guilt in her voice. 

“I’m sorry I abandoned you Finn…that I caused you such pain over these past couple years. I should’ve known better…it’s the same pain I experienced when my parents abandoned me...before I found out the truth…”

After a moment, Rey pulled away looking at him seriously. “I want you to know, that I never did this to hurt you. I know you think I left against my will or as part of some misguided, spontaneous romantic gesture but believe me when I say…leaving you and everyone else behind really was the hardest decision I ever made. But I rationed that, so long as you and the rebels had each other, you wouldn’t need me as much as Ben did. With Han, Leia, and Luke gone, he had no family left to turn to. So I became his family. At least I knew you'd have Poe, Chewy, Rose, and BB-8 to keep you company…but especially Poe. So no matter what, I knew you wouldn’t be alone.”

Finn wiped his face as his tears ceased, but he still looked sad. “You’re right, I wasn’t exactly alone all these years. The others were always around. And even after they went to do their own things, Poe at least always stayed by my side… even though I kept running out on him to look for you.” Finn looked ashamed as he realized the hypocrisy of his own actions. “Man, I’m an idiot. He put up with so much from me all these years and yet he still stayed…”

Rey couldn’t help but smile a little in amusement. “Poe always was protective of you. A little too much so at times. Always made me feel like I was competing for your company when the three of us were together. Frankly, I’m surprised the two of you aren’t married by now.”

Finn looked up at her in surprise, suddenly feeling flustered as he thought about the many times Poe had dropped hints about taking their relationship to the next level. 

“I was never…against the idea…it’s just...after you left, there was a sort of…lingering emptiness. I thought if I could just see you one last time, find out what happened to you, I could, I don’t know…move on or something… man it sounds stupid when I say it out loud.”

“It doesn’t,” Rey assured him. “Trust me I know the feeling.”

Finn finally smiled a little, but soon looked somber again. “You realize though, now that I know you’re here, I can’t just up and leave you behind. Not on a criminal infested planet like this one…especially with him.”

“I can assure you, we’re not staying here forever,” Rey confirmed. “This place isn’t ideal but it’s the best we can do for now with what little money we have. At least until either the children are older or we can obtain a new ship. Besides, you really shouldn't linger around here for too long. Ben certainly won’t react well once he finds out you’re here. I had to practically hold him back all those times you nearly found us on other planets. You’re lucky I sealed off our bond earlier. Otherwise, he'd be up here by now and you’d be missing a limb or two.”

“Which is exactly why I can’t just leave you here!” Finn insisted. “Kylo Ren-“

“His name is Ben!” Rey asserted fiercely.

Finn flinched at her tone, pausing before he continued. “Look, I was there firsthand to see all the horrible things Ky…that he had done, long before you and I had met. He even ordered me to commit those horrible acts myself. I just…I can’t picture him being anything else but that masked monster who tried to destroy everything I ever cared about and who…took you away from me. I mean, what sort of friend would I be to leave you behind with a guy like that, even if you do have children together?”

Rey thought long and hard to herself before responding. “I want to try something with you…something that might help you to understand better. If you’re willing to that is.”

“What are you talking about?” Finn asked suspiciously.

“I know I can’t convince you about Ben just by telling you…but what if I showed you instead?” She asked cryptically.

Finn looked confused and hesitant. “Is this some sort of Jedi mind trick thing? Cause I don’t appreciate having my head messed with."

“No, no, I wouldn’t be going into your mind.” Rey clarified. “You’d be going into mine.”

Finn looked at her in surprise. “Wait, can you do that? Or should I say, can I do that? Cause I’ve never done anything like that before. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“It’s alright, I’ll guide you,” Rey assured him before taking his hand and place his fingers on her right temple. “Just close your eyes and concentrate. Imagine you're stepping through a doorway into my mind. You’ll see many images, some just flashes of memory, while others are more drawn out and vibrate. Just gently navigate your way through them and I’ll show you what you need to see.”

“Alright but…what if I hurt you by doing this?” Finn asked uneasily. “What if I hurt your kid?”

“I promise you the baby won’t be affected.” She assured him before continuing. “As for me, all I ask is that you don’t dwell on one of my more upsetting memories. If you linger on a negative emotion for too long, the mind you are inhabiting will shift toward other similar memories and eventually become overwhelmed by them. It can cause pain and send the person into either a depressed or anger induced state.”

“Got it. No bad memories.” Finn confirmed. “So, what is it I'm looking for then?”

“I’ll show you.” She smiled. “Close your eyes.”

Although he was still unsure about the whole process, Finn obeyed and closed his eyes, using the meditative techniques he had learned to focus and concentrate. He had never used the force in such close proximity to another before, having always used it to sense from a distance. Now that he was standing in front of Rey, her essence practically engulfed him and easily pulled him toward the entrance into her mind.

“I can see it,” Finn said.

“Good. Brace yourself now.” Rey said as she gently eased him into her mind.

Suddenly Finn’s vision was filled with hundreds of images, visions, and memories. It was like watching a room full of holo-screens all playing different things at once. Finn started to feel overwhelmed by it, but slowly lets out a breath, focusing enough to where the memories began to slow down so he could watch them properly.

Immediately the first thing he saw was Kylo Ren, as he took off his helmet when meeting a restrained Rey for the first time on his ship, shortly after he kidnapped her from Takodana. It then jumped to Kylo Ren stabbing Han Solo, followed by the lightsaber fight between him and Rey in the forest on Starkiller base.

_ “You need a teacher…I can show you the ways of the force!” _

Finn shook his head, trying to ignore the deep voice he was once forced to obey. He knew these memories, mostly from having been there and Rey elaborating on them afterward. 

Knowing Rey wouldn’t want to relive them, he pressed forward.

Now he was watching new memories. Rey was alone on an unfamiliar planet in a small hut, when she sees Kylo Ren again and shoots him on instinct, only for the laser to pass through him unharmed. Other memories showed a similar setup, with Rey and Kylo talking to each other, yet strangely not occupying the same space. Finn caught moments of their dialog explaining their newfound bond, noting that each time they talked, Rey’s voice gradually went from being hateful and venomous to tender and caring, while Kylo’s voice became softer and more vulnerable with each interaction. There was even a moment where Kylo showed up shirtless, which Finn quickly tried to race past. 

However, it was the memory where the two managed to touch hands that Finn experienced something weird. A brief flash showed Kylo Ren, except he was no longer wearing his armor and instead wielded a blue lightsaber as he fought alongside Rey against a dark force.

_ “I never felt more alone.” _

_ “You’re not alone.” _

_ “Neither are you.” _

The memories then shifted to Rey arriving on one of the First Order ships, and being quickly detained by Kylo Ren. However, she seemed eager if not hopeful to see him, especially once they were alone on the elevator. Next Finn saw her getting tortured by Snoke, before the former Supreme Leader was suddenly cut in half by a lightsaber triggered by Kylo. It then cut to Rey and Kylo fighting the guards’ side by side, followed by Kylo desperately offering Rey his hand, only for the two to end up fighting over a lightsaber before it exploded.

_ “You come from nothing, you’re nothing…but not to me.” _

After that, the memories became briefer and more blended together. Kylo Ren would appear to Rey again and again, similar to how he did on the unknown planet, except this time Rey would either ignore him or reject his advances, an act that often left her looking sad and longing. 

Soon the memories became more familiar as Finn realized he was getting closer to the events of Exegol, as evident by memories of Rey taking down Kylo’s ship on Pasaana and their lightsaber fight on Kef Bir. This time however, Finn got to see the result of that fight, watching as Rey stabbed Kylo through the stomach with his own lightsaber, only to use her force healing to ultimately save him.

_ “I did want to take your hand…Ben’s hand.” _

The memories had now surged forward again to Exegol, where her battle against Palpatine played out as Rey had told him, only now it involved Kylo fighting by her side, just as the earlier vision had shown. The memories were then interrupted by a brief darkness, which Finn assumed was the result of Rey’s brief death. When the memories came back, it was of Kylo healing Rey back to life before dying in the process and nearly disappearing. He watched as Rey wept over him, before using her own powers to bring him back. The two embraced as they shared their first kiss before leaving the planet for good.

_ “I swear, even if it takes the rest of our lives, I will spend it fighting to keep you safe.” _

_ “Then I make a solemn vow to you here and now…so long as there is breath left in my body, I will protect you and remain by your side, from now until we are both one with the force.” _

After that was a montage of memories, mostly of their travels to other planets and their attempts to avoid being detected by the Republic. As Rey said, the two did indeed explore many different places together, enjoying leisurely activities as a couple and growing closer and closer with each new experience. They even getting intimate in a few brief flashes, while Finn tried to ignore. 

Despite himself, Finn couldn’t help but feel a little jealous and a bit annoyed, as he had visited many of the places they had frequented and could even spot himself in a few of the memories. They were always just barely out of his sight with Rey looking at him longingly, holding back Kylo who seemed ready to pounce him. Despite those moments, he had to admit that Rey and even Kylo Ren did indeed look happier than he’d ever seen either of them before, something that both saddened and pained him to admit.

The memories finally slowed down upon them reaching Naboo, where Finn watched as Kylo Ren escorted Rey to a balcony that overlooked a large lake. They were watching the sunset together when Ren suddenly dropped to his knees and presented her with a pendant. It then jumped to their wedding at the lakeside, with Rey wearing a beautiful white dress as the two said their vows to one another. It jumped again to the two hiding as Finn saw himself looking for them, being only a heads turn away from discovering their location. 

Finn rushed past the memories of their honeymoon, to an image of Rey with a much more prominent baby bump which Kylo caressed lovingly. The next image was of them in a med ward, each holding a small bundle in their arms and looking happy yet tired. After that, he watched as they arrived on the moisture farm in Tatooine with the babies. It was then followed by another montage of them fixing things around the farm as well as caring for and training their children. There was even a part where they fought off Jawa’s and Tusken Raiders that kept attacking and stealing parts of their ship, as well as items from their farm. 

The last two memories Finn saw was what caught his attention the most. It started with a brief vision of Rey walking through the canyons and encountering what looked to be an assassin droid similar to IG-66. It had scanned her and was preparing to attack when she struck it with her lightsaber and used the force to knock it back. A brief battle occurred, followed by an image of her trying to hide the wrecked body in the canyons.

The scene then jumped to Rey walking towards the farm, looking scared and hesitant as she approached Kylo, who seemed to have just finished working on the broken land speeder while their two kids played nearby. She whispered something to him, which apparently caught him by surprise as he glanced down at her flat stomach and back to her in alarm. Rey seemed on the verge of tears, only for Kylo to quickly comfort her, smiling in assurance as he kissed her cheek before falling to his knees and placed a kiss against her middle. Rey immediately cheered up, holding him close before the two shared in an intimate kiss, with Kylo picking her up and hold her in his arms as they kissed deeply.

Finn finally opened his eyes and pulled away from Rey, his head buzzing with everything he’d seen. Rey too opened her eyes, looking strained but otherwise okay.

“Sorry. You weren’t supposed to see that one memory. It’s just been on my mind a lot these past months…” 

“That droid you encountered in the canyons,” Finn said trying to remember what it looked like. "That was an IG model, wasn't it?”

Rey nodded, placing a hand on her stomach as she caressed it. “I didn’t tell Ben cause I don’t want him to worry. He’s so overprotective sometimes. It’s one of the many things I both love and hate about him.”

Finn stared at Rey, his mind now buzzing and adjusting to everything he just saw. He thought over everything he learned about the couple’s whole hidden history as well as what they had been through in the last five years. There was no denying it now that the two were legitimately in love and had gone through a lot in order to stay together. It was especially evident with Rey, given how much she had personally sacrificed just to keep her husband safe, her whole defense of him now making sense.

“You knew he was going to turn back to the light, didn’t you? That’s why you tried so hard with him.” Finn said in realization. “That force bond Palpatine opened was supposed to help trap you but…it made you both closer instead. Close enough to see each other’s futures and change fate.”

Rey shook her head. “It wasn’t really our futures though…they were possibilities. Ones we each wanted to see happen most. Which is why we were always pushing each other towards scenarios where we ended up together.” Rey elaborated. “Even while we were fighting each other, I always clung to the vision of Ben rejoining the light and being with me. But I knew we could never truly be together until Kylo Ren was gone. I couldn’t force him to change though. He had to want it for himself. Now that he has chosen that path, he does the best he can to fight the darkness and be a better man every day. All because he-“

“Because he loves you.” Finn finished her sentence. “And because you love him back.”

Rey looked at him in relief, realizing he finally understood and nodded. “Yes, exactly. Which is why I’m begging you Finn…please keep our secret and let us live in peace. Ben may have renounced his ways, but he still has many enemies out there, especially in the Republic. You know what will happen if they find him here.”

Finn exhaled slowly, thinking back to the IG unit he met back at the bar. Every instinct in his body was telling him it was a bad idea to keep this secret. For one, he’d be taking on great personal risk, not to mention risking the trust of the Republic by hiding the location of its most wanted fugitive. And he'd have to lie to Poe about it, something that strangely bothered him more then he cared to admit. Most of all, he feared what would become of Rey if he just left her behind. What would happen to her and her children if Kylo Ren was accidentally discovered? What would happen if that IG unit discovered them first? Either way, Finn knew he couldn’t let that happen. 

“I want to tell you yes Rey…” Finn said, hesitance in his voice. “But I'm sorry, I simply can’t just leave you here. And it’s not just a case of me not wanting to stand idly by, knowing that you’re struggling day in and day out to care for your family on this wasteland of a planet. It's also a matter of your safety...because right now, there's an active target on your husband’s head.” 

“What do you mean?” Rey asked looking concerned. 

“Yesterday before I came here, I ran into an assassin droid in Mos Eisley who was looking for him…an IG unit.”

“What!?” Rey exclaimed, looking panicked. "No...no it can't be..."

“Relax, relax,” Finn said grasping Rey by the shoulders to calm her. “It was heading toward Mos Espa last I checked, which is far away from here. The point is though, it’s still on this planet and will continue to look until it finds him. If you want to protect your family, you need to leave with me. Your kids too. I don’t know what I can do for him, but I can at least keep you and them safe from it. I mean, that’s what he would want right-"

“No, no, no, you’re not splitting us up!” Rey protested backing away from him, looking scared. “If you want to protect my family, then you either have to protect all of us or none of us!”

“Rey, I am not going to lose you again because of him!” Finn declared firmly. “I know you love him, but he’s a huge liability to you and your kids. IG units stop at nothing to obtain their targets and they will go through anything and anyone to get to them.” 

“I’m not leaving without my husband!” Rey said, also remaining firm. “We do everything together. Always! After everything I’ve told and shown you, how can you not see that-”

“Because I still don’t trust him!” Finn exclaimed. “The man was a genocidal dictator who used his dark powers to kill and torture people! He's a direct descendant of Darth Vader for crying out loud, and you know what that guy did to the people he supposedly cared about! How do I know he won’t go the same path and end up destroying you and your kids?” 

“He would never do that! Ever!” Rey said firmly before up offering her hand. “And I’ll show you why.”

Curious, Finn grasped her hand and followed Rey back to the cliffside overlooking her home. Down below, Finn watched as the man he knew as Kylo Ren was now fencing with the two kids.

“Tell me. What do you see down there?” Rey asked.

Finn watched as Kylo Ren ducked and swerved around the two kids’ attacks, knocking each of them down onto the sand.

“A former mass murderer beating up on two helpless kids?” Finn replied bluntly.

Rey shook her head. “Keep watching.”

Suddenly the kids had gotten up and threw their sabers at their father, distracting him before tackling his legs and knocking him to the ground. They then started crawling on top of him, both laughing and taunting him. It was then Finn’s perception began to change as he saw Kylo Ren not only admit defeat, but actually smile as his children proceeded to playfully beat him up. Outside of Rey’s memories, Finn had never seen the dark-haired man so much as smirk. Yet here he was playing in the sand with his kids, laughing as if having the time of his life.

Rey smiled at the scene. “Now what do you see?”

Finn paused. “A father playing with his kids.”

“Exactly.” Rey nodded, looking at Finn. “A father and a husband, who loves his family with all his heart and would do anything to protect them. And I mean anything. I know to you, he’s the most evil being in all the galaxy. But to them, he’s just their daddy. A great Jedi knight they hope to one day be like. Neither of them knows what he’s done. How much he’s sacrificed to get here and to keep us all safe. Or that at any given time, he could be taken away from them.”

Finn stood in silence. He glanced at Rey, who fiddled with the japor snippet pendant hanging from her neck. She looked worriedly down at her family, her other hand resting protectively on her baby bump. 

Thinking long and hard to himself, Finn finally came to a decision. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

Rey perked up at his statement, gazing at her friend. “Really?”

“Yes. I’ll keep your secret and find a way to protect all of you, including him. But on one condition though.”

* * *

Down in the canyon, BB-8 idled nearby, digging at the ground and picking dried up flower buds it found from within the sand while it waited for Finn to return.

“BB-8? You still down there?” Finn called down from the cliff.

BB-8 perked up and rolled back far enough till it had Finn within its sights. It beeped erratically up at Finn, who waved down.

“Just hang tight. You’re about to get a lift up here.”

BB-8 beeped questioningly before feeling itself get lifted high off the ground. The little droid let out a series of alarming beeps as it floated higher and higher towards Finn.

Once it reached the top, it beeped in excitement upon seeing Rey, who had her hand raised and looked excited to see the little droid again.

“BB-8! Oh, I’ve missed you!” Rey said kneeling down as BB-8 hit the ground and rolled up to her, beeping excitedly as she hugged him. “Look at you, the same little droid. It's so great to see you again.”

“Listen up BB-8, cause I have a mission for you,” Finn said, kneeling towards the droid, who beeped at him questioningly. “I need you to go with Rey and look after her and her family until I return.”

BB-8 let out a series of surprising beeps, looking between the two in confusion. 

“I know, trust me it’ll take a while to explain, but Rey will fill you in on the way to her home,” Finn said, glancing up at Rey. “But for now, I need time to figure out how to get that IG unit we ran into yesterday off this planet, without it knowing that Rey or her family is here. Till then, I want you to stay with them and let me know immediately if anything happens. Understood?”

BB-8 still seemed confused, knowing it had missed a lot of important information, but nonetheless beeped in acknowledgment before rolling over to Rey’s side. 

“Finn are you sure about this?” Rey asked uncertainly.

“Trust me, I’d feel much better about leaving you alone this way,” Finn said standing up. “BB-8 can send messages to my communicator so I can check in on you, and you can get in touch with me should something happen. As soon as he messages me, I'll be right by your side to help.”

“What about Ben?” Rey asked, looking slightly scared. “He’ll recognize BB-8 and become suspicious. If he finds out about you or that assassin droid-"

“Then tell him you got BB-8 from somewhere else, like a pawn shop or you won him in a game of chance or something-"

“I’m not lying to my husband!” Rey protested.

“You have to Rey.” Finn insisted. “For the safety of your family. I want to help but I need time to formulate a plan first, and I am not leaving you here alone until I know for certain that droid is off-planet.”

Rey still looked unsure, prompting Finn to grasp her shoulders as he looked upon her with all sincerity.

“I promise I won’t stay away long. It’s just until I find a way to deal with that droid. Then after that, I’ll leave you and your family in peace…forever.” 

The last word sounded almost painful for him to say, prompting Rey to reach up and touch his cheek. “No Finn…not forever.”

Finn’s eyes shot up in surprise. “Really?”

Rey looked upon him in gratitude. “You’ve risked so much to find me, and now you’re risking so much more on my behalf and that of my family’s…it’d be cruel of me to abandon you again after that. I still want you to keep our secret but, once everything settles down and we’re able to find a more suitable home away from Tatooine…I want you to be part of it. After I explain all this to Ben, I want the two of you to get to know each other and for you to visit on occasion. For you to meet my children, and for my son to meet his namesake. I…I want my best friend in my life again.”

Finn looked touched by her declaration, smiling as he pulled her into a hug. Although he doubted he could ever find common or even friendly ground with Kylo Ren, the thought of Rey being back in his life again was enough to fill him with joy. 

Rey embraced him back, tightening her hold on Finn, who placed a grateful kiss on the side of her head. "Thank you Rey."

"No, thank you." She said, squeezing tightly.

Finn pulled away, a confident smile on his face. “Well, I better get started then. The sooner I get rid of that droid, the sooner I can help you go house hunting. Just please…stay safe till I get back?”

“I promise." Rey smiled back happily. "May the Force be with you, Finn." She then glanced down at BB-8. “Ready to go meet my family?” 

The droid beeped confidently at Rey, staying at her side as they headed off towards her hidden speeder. 

Finn watched them leave, hoping that force would indeed help keep Rey safe and that everything would work out in the end. And yet, he still couldn’t help but have a bad feeling about all this. A very bad feeling…


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben teaches the twins how to fight while waiting for Rey to return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really enjoyed writing this particular chapter, even if it did end up longer then intended (sry a habit of mine). Enjoy some tooth rotting family fluff everyone :P

Chapter 4 

“Come on daddy, hurry up!”

“Alright, alright, I’m coming.”

Inside the family home, Ben had just finished clearing away plates from the dinner table, leaving them to soak in the sink. He was now wrapping fresh tape around the wooden handle of the dueling practice saber he had designed for himself. Once finished, he strolled outside to find his son and daughter using their own practice sabers to playfully pummel each other, making Ben really glad he thought to add extra padding to the wooden blades.

“I’m gonna beat you up Fin!” The dark-haired girl said as she attacked him head-on.

“Nuh-uh! This time Anni, I’m gonna beat you up!” Said the blonde-haired boy, holding his saber up defensively before attacking her back. 

Ben watched in amusement as his children sparred, feeling encouraged by their enthusiasm. Even before they were born, he sensed the force strongly within them both and knew they would have unlimited potential as Jedi’s. By the time they were old enough to walk, they were already making small items float in the air and could always sense whenever their parents were nearby. 

However, there had also been occasions where each twin would have an emotional outburst or tantrum. This resulted in all the objects in their home either going flying against the walls or even exploding. As a result, Ben and Rey decided to start Jedi training as early as possible, hoping to curb the twins’ energy bursts and teach them some control. 

As neither Rey nor Ben had been trained as small children, they were unsure of what techniques were age-appropriate for the kids to learn and decided to start small. First, they showing them how to move and summon small items using the force, something the twins picked up surprisingly fast, to the point where they were able to levitate chairs and larger rocks on their own. 

Another thing Ben and Rey decided to teach, something that both twins were extremely eager to learn, was how to fight. Ever since they were babies, the twins would watch Rey and Ben practice sparring with their lightsabers and soon were begging to have lightsabers of their own. So Ben and Rey built practice sabers for the kids to help train and channel their excess energies into combat, something the twins did every chance they got. 

Now with Rey reaching the end of her pregnancy, Ben had taken it upon himself to teach the twins the basics of one-on-one sparing. It went about as well as one would expect when trying to teach two very active and playful four-year old’s, but at least they were eager to learn and prove themselves as worthy Jedi. 

When the twins asked to train again after dinner, Ben was all too eager to teach, hoping it would help distract him from worrying about Rey. She had left earlier that morning and was now running late, having missed dinner much to his concern. Despite getting closer to her due date, Rey still insisted on taking the mini speeder into market by herself to trade and gather supplies as she usually did, ignoring Ben’s persistent protests.

As much as he loved her, Rey was still as frustratingly stubborn as ever, always acting independently and pushing herself more than was necessary. Ben had tried checking in on her through their force bond, but she soon grew weary of his constant hovering and shut him out completely, promising to open it again either in an emergency or upon her return. Although Ben knew Rey was capable of handling herself, that didn’t stop him from anxiously counting the minutes until he could feel her presence again.

“Take that! And that!”

Anni then managed to subdue her brother, causing him to fall onto his knees. As she brought her saber downward for the final strike, Fin ducked underneath, rolling over the sand before quickly jabbing her in the side with his fingers, causing her to let out a laugh and recoil. Fin took the opportunity to strike her on the wrist with his saber, resulting in Anni dropping her saber. 

“Haha! I sliced off your hand! I win!”

“Ow! Hey! No fair!” Anni yelled out, shoving her hand forward, using the force to send Fin flying backward onto the sand. She picked up her saber and raced toward him, tapping his chest victoriously. “Ha! I stabbed you in the chest! Now I win!”

Fin lay on the ground, giggled hysterically. “Nuh-uh, I got you first. So I’m still the winner!” 

“You didn’t even hit me in the right spot!” Anni argued. “You’re cheating!”

Fin didn’t lose his smile and continued to taunt her in a singsong voice. “You’re just mad, cause I cut your hand off.”

“No, you didn’t!” Anni insisted.

“Alright you two, enough fooling around,” Ben commanded loudly. “Lessons start now. Line up!”

The twins got up and quickly ran towards Ben, standing in front of him side by side with their duel sabers at the ready.

“Now then, it’s time to move on to the next phase of your lessons. So far, we’ve practiced stance and posture when facing an opponent. We’ve also gone over the proper techniques for attacking and blocking.” Ben said, strolling around them. “It went…as well as expected…but now, your next lesson to learn is a very crucial one…accuracy and focus. As force users, these will be your greatest weapons.”

As Ben talked, Fin waited till his father’s back was turned to start making silly faces, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue. Anni’s saw what he was doing and covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

“Accuracy is of vital importance. You can have the most powerful strike in the galaxy, but it’s useless if you don’t know how to aim it properly. You must also learn to focus on your target while also being aware of your surroundings.” Ben said coming to halt, as he half looked over his shoulder. “I see that young man.”

Fin immediately stopped making faces and retracted his tongue, clamming up as he bit his lower lip. Ben turned and walked toward his son, who tried to keep a straight face while appearing innocent. Ben stopped in front of him, towering overhead as he glared down at the boy sternly. Anni glanced between the two silently, wondering if her father was going to punish Fin for fooling around. 

Without saying a word, Ben pointed his saber at Fin’s face, using it to tilt the boy's chin upward so they were looking right at each other. Fin gazed nervously up at his dad, again trying to look innocent and failing miserably. His eyes the same dark brown color as Ben’s, but far less intense and with hints of mischief in them, as indicated by the boy’s inability to hide his smirk.

Pausing for a moment, Ben lowered the saber to tap lightly at Fin’s ankles. “Remember to keep those feet apart. You’ll be harder to knock down that way.”

Still trying not to smirk, Fin adjusted his stance as Ben quickly raised his saber back up, tilting the boy’s chin upward again. 

“Don’t take your eyes on your opponent,” Ben said sternly. “You don’t want to get distracted and fall victim to a sneak attack. Now straighten up that back. Straighter…. straighter…”

Fin lifted his head high, arching his back as much as he could while struggling not to smile. Ben took the opportunity to walk behind him and once out of the boy’s line of sight, lightly poked Fin under the armpit with the padded point of his saber. This caused Fin to flinch and laugh out loud. 

“Come on, you can do better than that.”

Giggling, Fin tried standing up straight again, only for Ben to poke him once more when he wasn’t looking, soliciting another laugh from the boy.

“You’re really bad at this focus thing you know?”

“No fair daddy.” Fin giggled, turning his head to follow Ben so he wouldn’t be taken off guard again.

Anni tried covering her mouth, only to let out a snort of laughter too, cause Ben to turn his attention toward her. “Oh, you think it’s funny, young lady? Your posture and focus are just as bad, if not worse than his.” He then poked her repeatedly in the side with his saber, causing her to recoil and laugh louder.

“Daddy that tickles!” Anni said giggling loudly. 

“Well, that’s what you get for letting your guard down,” Ben said, trying not to smirk as he stood before them, getting into a fighting stance. “Now then, my young padawans, time to get serious. Take your stance.”

The twins used both hands to grab their sabers, standing with their feet apart as they readied themselves for an attack. Ben meanwhile, placed his one arm behind his back, holding his saber out with only the other hand.

“The rule is this. Both of you must tap me on the chest once with your sabers to win this match. I will only be defending myself… for now.” He said, giving a warning glance to the twins who merely smiled in excitement. 

“On three…one…two…three!”

The twins let out battle cries and attacked Ben at the same time, who kept his stance while using defensive moves to block their sabers. Although the kids were quick and wild with their attacks, not to mention relentless, Ben was able to outmaneuver them easily on the sand and keep them at bay despite their best efforts. Soon he was practically dancing circles around the two, who were now getting sloppy in their attempts to attack him. Fin had even attempted to climb up a nearby broken engine that lay in the sand, trying to mimic a move he often saw his mother use against Ben when they sparred.

“I’m gonna get you, daddy!” Fin said as he jumped off the engine towards Ben.

“Oh yeah?” Ben then merely sidestepped him, causing Fin to miss completely and faceplant onto the sand. 

Anni then charged him from behind, but Ben easily ducked out of the way, casually tripping her and sending her falling onto the sand as well.

“Come on you two. You’re not even trying.” Ben said, spinning his saber around as he swaggered about, having barely broken a sweat.

Anni sat up and looked over at her brother, whose face was covered in sand. They both shared a look, having had the same idea, and smirked. “Sneak attack?”

“Sneak attack.” Fin nodded, spitting out some sand before wiping off his face.

Together both Anni and Fin stood back up, holding up their sabers again as Ben stood ready to defend himself. 

However, instead of attacking head-on like before, the twins let go of their sabers, using the force to hover them in mid-air. Aiming their sabers toward their father, Anni and Fin thrust their hands forward, launching the sabers straight at Ben. Out of reflex, Ben raised his free hand and used the force to stop the sabers from hitting him. 

In his moment of distraction, the twins raced forward, each letting out a yell as they tackle hugged each of his legs. Ben let out a surprised yell, stumbling back until he lost his balance and fell backward onto the sand. 

Before he could recover, Anni and Fin each force summoned their sabers and tapped them against Ben’s chest.

“Haha! Got ya!” Fin declared victoriously.

“We beat you, daddy!” Anni said, smiling widely.

“Oh no! My own children have defeated me!” Ben lamented in a fake dramatic tone. “How could I have let this happen?”

"And now we finish you off!" Fin declared.

The kids laughed evilly as they crawled over their dad and began using their sabers to repeatedly 'stab' him. Ben couldn’t help but smile and chuckle at the playfully sadistic nature of his children, before grabbing them both by the waists. The twins let out a squeal of surprise as Ben rolled them over onto the sand and pinned them underneath him.

"Hitting a man while he's down? Playing dirty? Not very Jedi-like of you two." Ben smirked, before grabbing handfuls of sand and smashing it onto their heads.

"Ahh! Daddy!" Both exclaimed as they sat up and moved away to shake the sand out of their hair.

Ben grinned devilishly, sitting up and dusting the sand off his tunic while they finished shaking the sand off themselves.

“A distraction followed by a sneak attack...wasn't expecting that. Very clever you two. Not a bad use of your force powers either. Though you’re lucky I don’t consider that cheating.”

“Hey, I don’t cheat!” Anni said, folding her arms in a pout.

“Yeah, you didn’t say we couldn’t use our powers.” Fin said tauntingly.

“I suppose you’re right…” Ben nodded, before eyeing them mischievously. “In that case…”

Ben then raised his hand at them. Suddenly Anni and Fin felt themselves float off the ground and were hovering around in mid-air, squealing in surprise and excitement. Ben stood up, keeping his hand raised high before moving his other hand so that the twins were now spinning in a big circle. 

“Thanks for bringing that up.” He called out to them, slowly moving his one hand around. “Now I have the upper hand.”

“Boo! No fair daddy!” Anni called out as she spun around.

“Consider this your next lesson then,” Ben called out. “Never underestimate your opponent. Now you two have to figure your way out of this. The first one who manages to do so doesn’t have to gather stones for the fire tonight. Now then, who wants to know how to win?”

“I wanna win!” Anni called out. 

“Hehe, I don’t!” Fin yelled as he spun himself backward in mid-air. “This is fun! Woohoo!”

“Come on Fin, focus!” Anni called out as she tried to get her brother's attention but to no avail.

“All one of you has to do is touch my hand, and I’ll let you both down,” Ben said, keeping his hand raised high as the twins continued to fly around, just out of reach. “Just remember accuracy. Focus on your target!”

Anni struggled to spin herself forward, trying to reach for her father’s hand, only to fly out of range once she got close and get turned around again. This caused her to become incredibly frustrated. As much as she loved having fun like her brother, Anni was also very competitive and liked to win. In fact, she loved winning. And she especially loved proving to her father that she was a winner.

So much so, that after missing her target for the fourth time, Anni in her anger let out a burst of force energy, thrusting her arms outward. Suddenly both her and Fin stopped spinning and hovered in midair. 

“Hey, what’s going on?” Fin asked in confusion, unable to move in any direction.

Ben was taken back by her immense force power, momentarily lowering his hand, which caused Fin to slowly float back down and plop onto the sand below. Anni however, stayed suspended in midair, her arms still outstretched and her black hair floating eerily around her. She focused her attention on Ben and moved her hand in front of her, thrusting it forward, which caused her body to slowly move towards him. Anni jabbed her hand forward, again and again, trying to make herself go faster, never once breaking eye contact with her father. 

Ben could feel the force radiating off her in very powerful bursts, so very similar to his own. Almost too much like his own. In all honesty, it should've scared him just how much darkness his daughter was giving off at that moment. 

However, upon seeing the determination in her eyes, Ben slowly raised his hand again, this time specifically towards her. Anni at first thought he was going to send her flying back, but instead, he turned his palm upward as if motioning her to grab it. Spurred on by his gesture, Anni used the force to propel herself even further toward her father’s outstretched hand. 

The closer she got to him, the more excited Ben became. At one point, Ben even felt himself lurch forward slightly as if Anni were also using the force to pull him closer towards her. But he wouldn't make it that easy for her. Standing his ground, Ben locked eyes with his daughter, nodding in encouragement for her to press onward as he waved her towards him.

Finally, after exerting herself to the point where her face started to become red, Anni reached out one last time and grabbed her father's outstretched fingers. Ben’s face broke into a proud, triumphed smile as his hand closed around hers. It was quickly dashed however as Anni closed her eyes and suddenly dropped down from midair.

“Anni!” Ben exclaimed, as he quickly used the force to stop her from hitting the ground. He then floated her limp body into his arms, kneeling down as he cradled her close to him, brushing her hair from her face. “It’s okay I got you. Are you alright? Anni?”

Anni stirred, slowly opening her eyes as she gazed at her father wearily, speaking in a small voice. “Did I win daddy?”

Ben exhaled a sigh of relief as his panic died down. “Yes, sweetheart. You won. That was amazing, what you just did. I never knew you could do something like that.” 

“I focused, just like you said.” Anni sat up slowly in his arms. “Did I do a good job?”

“You sure did. But using all that power…must’ve taken a lot out of you. I’m very proud but please, don’t do that again. Not until you’re stronger okay?” Ben said, looking her over for injury. “Are you sure you’re alright? Does anything hurt?”

Anni shook her head, frowning as she looked disappointed with herself. “Sorry, I’m not strong enough daddy…”

“What? No sweetheart, I told you. You did an excellent job. Really you did.” Ben assured her, brushing back her dark hair away with his fingers. “I still shouldn’t have pushed you so hard though. You need to be careful with your powers, so you don’t overdo it. I don’t want you getting hurt trying to prove yourself to me.”

“But I wanted to win so I can become a Jedi and use lightsabers like you and mommy.”

“And you will Anni. You most certainly will. You may not realize it yet but, you have a gift. A natural raw talent for the force. One that I will gladly help you learn to harness and control as you get older.” Ben assured her, looking upon her fondly. “You’re going to become a great Jedi someday…just like your mother.”

“And you too, right daddy?” Anni corrected him.

Ben’s smile faltered a bit. He had yet to tell his children about his dark past, wanting to wait until they were older to understand. Part of him wished to always keep it a secret, less they stopped looking at him as the heroic Jedi Rey often made him out to be in her stories, and instead as the monster the rest of the galaxy had come to know. 

As Anni looked curiously at her father, with the same hazel eyes she inherited from Rey, Ben recovered his smile. Hopefully, if his kids were anything like their mother, they’d be just as understanding and forgiving as she was. 

“Yes, Anni. Like me.” Ben nodded.

Anni smiled brightly, another trait she inherited from Rey, and hugged her father tightly. Ben in turned hugged her back, a look of happiness and pride radiating on his face. 

Anni then sat up, looking excited. “So, do I get my own lightsaber now? Cause I want a purple one!”

Ben chuckled. “Not yet. But you’re halfway there.”

“Hey! What about me?” Fin called out as he stood up. “I want a lightsaber too!”

Ben looked up toward the blonde boy. “You young man, need to work on your focus as well as your force powers. You don’t shape up, your sister may end up surpassing you.”

“Yeah Fin!” Anni taunted, sticking her tongue at him.

“Oh, but flying was so much fun! Can we do it again?” Fin begged.

“You want to practice flying? How about you make those stones fly toward the fire pit for tonight?” Ben suggested, pointing him toward a nearby pile of black rocks. “Go on then.”

“Aww man, but I really wanted to-“ Fin then paused and looked up over their heads, smiling widely. “Mommy!”

Anni turned as well, spotting Rey getting off the speeder and walking towards them in the distance. “Mommy’s back!”

Quickly the two stood up and raced toward Rey, who put down her bag of supplies, greeting them with open arms. Ben’s face lit up in relief, feeling their familiar bond reopen as he too stood up and strolled over to greet his wife.

“You’re back, you’re back!” The twins cheered as they ran into her arms, hugging her tight.

“Yes, I’m back. And I missed you both terribly.” Rey said, hugging them to her sides. She gave them both a kiss on top of their heads before standing back up, gazing at them lovingly. “So then, my darling ones…anything interesting happen while I was gone?”

“I flew up in the air and used the force to touch daddy’s hand!” Anni said excitedly. 

“I threw my saber at him!” Fin added proudly. "And then stabbed him with it!"

“Is that right? My, it seems you both did a lot today. Very impressive my little future Jedi’s.” Rey said in amusement, patting both their heads as they beamed up at her. She then looked up toward Ben, who strolled toward them eagerly. “Bet you two wore your poor father out.”

“Not quite.” Ben shook his head. “I’ve been through worse.”

Rey couldn’t help but smile as Ben gazed upon her. Even years later, Ben was still able to make her heart leap with only a glance. Evidently, it was the same for Ben, who looked upon Rey as if she were the most beautiful woman in the galaxy. Which to him, couldn't be more true.

“Kids, why don’t you take the supplies into the hut? Let your mom rest a bit?” Ben asked the kids, not breaking his eye contact with Rey.

“Okay! Race ya!” Fin yelled as he quickly grabbed a bag and raced toward their home, with Anni grabbing the other bag and followed suit.

Once the kids were far enough away, Ben quickly moved forward, cupping Rey’s face and kissing her deeply. Rey was taken aback by the quick display of affection but nonetheless returned the kiss, sliding her hands up Ben’s chest and grasping his shirt to draw him closer. 

They kissed for a while until Rey eventually pulled away for air, smiling against his lips and blushing a little. “You’re eager today.” 

“And you’re late,” Ben responded, resting his forehead against hers. “The kids almost ate your dinner. I saved you a small bowl though.”

“Sorry. Got held up at market.” Rey said, glancing up at him sweetly. "Forgive me?"

"I suppose I could," Ben said, caressing her cheek with his finger. "Though I wish you'd let me know when you're running late. Get's awful lonely around here when the kids aren't trying to beat me up." 

Rey chuckled. “I wasn’t gone all that long though. Did you really miss me that much?”

“You have no idea.” Ben shook his head, quickly recapturing her lips again.

Rey moaned, savoring the taste and feel of Ben's lip a bit longer than she meant to. As much as she wanted to continue, Rey reluctantly pulled away again before she became further distracted. “Wait, before we…lose ourselves in the moment…there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What is it? Is something wrong?” Ben asked, the worrisome tone building in his voice. “Did something happen in town? Are you hurt? What about the baby-"

“It’s okay, relax. We’re both fine.” Rey said, taking his hand and placing it on her stomach. “See?” 

Feeling the baby’s familiar presence, as well as a soft kick, Ben let out a sigh of relief. Quickly he kneeled down and placed a kiss against Rey’s bump, caressing it gently. “I missed you too little one. Thanks for bringing your mom back to me.”

Rey smiled warmly at the gesture but still noted the worrisome look on Ben’s face as he stood up to address her. “You can’t keep doing this. I know we’ve discussed this already, but I REALLY don’t think you should continue going into Mos Eisley by yourself. There’s got to be another way to get supplies without you having to go alone in your condition. If you just let me go to market instead-" 

“I told you, it’s not necessary,” Rey said firmly. “I’m perfectly capable of going into town on my own and getting what we need.”

“But once the baby comes-"

“Which isn’t for at least another month or so. I promise I’ll get us plenty of supplies before then.” 

“And what about after that? You can’t bring the baby across the canyons into town with you…unless…what if we all went into town together?” Ben suggested, looking hopeful. “We could do it, I’ve been training with the kids and their fighting skills are starting to improve-"

“You know that’s not a good idea.” Rey shook her head. “The land speeder’s still broken and I don’t want to risk traveling through the canyons with the children while they’re still small and unable to fully defend themselves-"

“But I can protect them!” Ben responded. “I can protect all of you!”

“Yes, you can! Here! Where it’s safe and no one from the Republic can accidentally run into you. Do I need to remind you what happened back on Chandrila? Or on Ach-Too or Mustafar?” Rey said sternly. “Trust me, it’s better for you all to stay here and let me take care of things so you aren’t discovered.”

Ben said nothing, running his fingers through his hair and clenching his jaw as if were biting his tongue. Rey could see the old familiar anger and frustration start to form on his face, causing her to reach up and place a reassuring hand on his cheek. 

“Ben, I know you’re worried about our safety, but I assure you everything will be alright. I grew up on a planet like this, so I know what to expect and how to take care of myself-”

“But you shouldn’t have to!” Ben protested, grasping her hand and holding it within his. “You’re my wife. I should be taking care of you too. We should be taking care of each other and providing for our children together. That’s what a family does.”

Rey looked touched by his sentiment, almost considering his words, but still shook her head. “It’s just safer this way for now, at least until we find a place elsewhere. Please just trust me on this.”

“You said we do everything together. Always.” Ben said, repeating their marriage vows. “How is pushing yourself and putting our unborn child at risk honoring that? How am I supposed to help and protect you when you shut yourself off from me? I know something has been troubling you lately, so why are you not telling me about it?”

“Please, can we not talk about this now?” Rey insisted. “There’s a much more pressing matter at hand.”

“Oh, like what exactly?” Ben asked, his tone a bit snippy.

Rey paused, trying to think of the excuses Finn recommended she try, yet she couldn’t bring herself to lie to Ben. He was already greatly upset with her for not letting him leave the farm to help her with getting supplies, and she was upset with herself for the things she was already hiding from him. Yet Rey feared Ben's reaction and how he would respond once she told him the truth. As much as she loved him, Ben always tended to let his emotions get the better of him and acted impulsively as a result. It had already caused them trouble on more than one occasion since they went into hiding.

Ben could sense her turmoil and spoke in a softer, more pleading tone. “Rey…please tell me…” 

Rey took a deep breath, already knowing this wasn't a good idea. “I ran into someone on my way back from the marketplace. Someone I know. And I beg you to please not jump to conclusions before I can explain-”

“What?” Ben asked, looking alarmed. “Who? Who’d you run into?”

“Mommy, mommy!” The twins yelled out as they ran towards them.

Rey paused and looked towards the kids, leaving Ben hanging. “Yes, what is it?”

“Mommy, what’s that?” Anni asked, pointing near the speeder.

Both Ben and Rey turned toward that direction. Half hidden behind the speeder, a small figure moved slightly, bobbing its head and making beeping noises.

Ben reacted instantly, motioning to draw out a blaster he kept on his belt. Rey, realizing what it was, immediately placed her hand over his and shook her head. He looked at her in bewilderment as she leaned forward to whisper in his ear.

“Don’t shoot. Don’t react. And don’t be mad.”

Ben watched in confusion as Rey walked towards the speeder where the figure was hiding. The kids tried following after her, but Ben held them both back, standing in front of them protectively.

“It’s okay. Come out.” She said, gently gesturing it forward.

Slowly, BB-8 came rolling out into view and followed Rey back to her family.

The kid’s faces lit up in excitement. “A droid! Mommy, you got a droid?”

“Yes, I did. Well, I was given one anyway.” Rey nodded, placing her hand on the droid’s head as she gestured toward it. “Kids, this is BB-8. BB-8, this is my family, Anni, Fin…and Ben.”

BB-8 beeped in acknowledgment, causing the kids to squeal in delight over the new addition. They quickly gathered around the tiny droid to look him over, as well as poke and prod him in places. 

Ben, however, looked less than happy. His face twitched, and his jaw clenched along with his fists as he recognized the white and orange droid he once hunted long ago.

“BB-8 is going to help us out around the farm. He’s a pretty good repair droid so perhaps he’ll be able to fix the land speeder and maybe the moisture farm equipment if he can manage it.” Rey said optimistically as she watched the droid play with the twins. "Look at that. Seems he likes you both already."

BB-8 rolled up to Fin, whistling as he opened a latch in his front compartment. His robot arm extended toward the boy, holding a withered, dried-up flower bud. 

“Eww, what’s that?” Anni asked, looking at the dried, brown bulb.

“Woah! It’s a flower!” Fin said taking the bulb in his hands and looking at it excitedly before glancing up at his mother. “Can I go plant this in the ground with BB-8?”

“Of course, go right ahead.” Rey nodded. Fin cheered and gestured BB-8 forward, who rolled after him as he and Anni made their way back towards their hut, looking for a place to plant the flower.

Rey watched happily as they all went off together, before feeling her husband’s stare and subsequent anger radiating from behind her. She turned to see Ben, his eyes dark and angry, his fists clenching and looking as if he were about to blow a gasket.

“Ben-“

“What is that…THING doing here?” He demanded loudly.

“That thing has a name!” Rey shot back. “BB-8 was given to me by that friend I ran into. I tried telling you about him before-"

“One of your rebel friends?” Ben pressed on. “Is that the same one who’s been following us through every star system we visited before coming here?”

“Ben please-"

“Is it!?” Ben demanded.

Rey paused and nodded. Ben breathed deeply, turning away as he ran his fingers through his hair, looking as if he were about to tear it out. He then turned sharply again.

“Does he know about us? About our family?” Ben asked, looking at her intently.

Rey paused, swallowing nervously before nodding again. “Yes he does…but he said he’d keep our secret for us-"

“And you believed him!?” 

“Yes, I do!” Rey shot back. “Believe me when I say, he wouldn’t betray me-"

“Are you serious!? How can you be so-” Ben exclaimed, letting out an aggravated grunt as he stomped off toward the hut. “I knew I should’ve gone to market instead!”

“Ben wait!” Rey yelled, chasing after him.

Meanwhile, on the side of the hut, Fin was digging a hole in the sand with a small spade, trying to make a place to plant the flower.

“Come on Fin, it’s not gonna work,” Anni said, waiting impatiently. “Nothing grows out here.”

“Yes, it will.” Fin said confidently. “Just you wait. I’m gonna plant it, and it's gonna grow so big it’ll cover the whole house!”

“Yeah right!” Anni said dismissively.

“Alright BB-8. Plant it right here.” Fin said pointing toward a flat wet patch of sand. BB-8 beeped in acknowledgment and stuck a bulb into the sand. Fin then poured a bit of water on it and rested on his elbows as he watched it, waiting for something to happen.

“How long does it take to grow?” Anni asked, scrunching her face in confusion.

“Dunno…maybe it needs something." Fin thought to himself before an idea occurred. "Hey, maybe I can try healing it! Like what mommy does for us when we get hurt.”

“That plant’s not hurt though.” Anni pointed out.

“You don’t know that.” Fin said, as he touched the bulb with his fingertip and closed his eyes to concentrate.

“Yeah, I do!” Anni shot back. “There’s no way, never, ever, ever, ever in a million years, that you can force heal a-“

Anni then paused as an odd sight unfolded before her eyes. The little dried bulb started turning less brown and softened. Slowly it became a darker pink and its petals grew out until it resembles a real flower.

“You did it…” Anni said as she leaned down to look closer. “Fin how’d you do that?”

Fin opened his eyes, looking pleasantly surprised at the flower, picking it up in his hands. “Wow, it worked…” 

Just then the twins heard shouting nearby and looked up to see their parents loudly arguing with each other as they approached the hut. Anni and Fin sat up, with Fin pocketing the flower, as they watched Rey chase after Ben who was steaming with anger.

“You’re overreacting!” Rey shouted after him. “I can assure you, he only gave us BB-8 to help us-"

“He gave you that droid so he can track us!” Ben said pointing toward BB-8. “Your so-called friend is probably on his way to sell us out to the Republic as we speak!”

“He wouldn’t do that!” Rey shouted. “You need to trust me!”

“Oh, like you trust me to go into town alone?” Ben shot back. “Why don’t you tell me the real reason you keep me stuck out here? You won’t let me leave the farm for safety reasons, but you can go chat up one of your old resistance buddies and accept gifts from them? Do you have any idea how much danger you just put us all in!?”

Feeling angry and upset, Rey wanted to respond. To tell him about the IG unit, about why she kept him on the farm, about everything. 

But then she felt a small kick from the baby and immediately held her tongue. No, she couldn't risk telling him now. Not yet. Not when it would only make things worse…

“Mommy? Daddy?”

They stopped and looked at the twins, who seemed worried as they stood near BB-8.

“Are you fighting?” Anni asked.

Rey and Ben looked between each other briefly, immediately cooling their tempers.

“No darling, just…having a disagreement,” Rey said, glancing at Ben who said nothing.

“Is something wrong with BB-8?” Fin asked, holding onto the droid. “Do we have to send him away?”

“No Fin, everything’s fine,” Rey assured him. “BB-8 can stay.”

“I need to go wash some dishes,” Ben said curtly as he disappeared into the hut. Rey watched him, wanting to chase after, but instead focused on reassuring the kids who still looked concerned.

“It’s alright…you know how daddy gets sometimes,” Rey said patting their heads. “Just give him some time to cool down and things will be alright. Fin darling, why don’t you show me where you planted your flower?”

“I have it right here.” Fin said taking it out of his pocket. “Look mommy, I fixed it.”

“Is that right? Well isn’t that-” Rey paused as she looked at the flower in his hand and was amazed to see that not only had the bulb sprung back to life but had bloomed as well. “That’s…incredible Fin! You’ve brought it completely back to life. How did you do this?”

“I did the healing touch on it, just like you do mommy.” Fin said proudly.

“He’s right, I saw it!” Anni confirmed.

“Really?” She glanced over at BB-8. “Do you have another?”

BB-8 beeped in response and produced another dried flower bulb. Rey placed it in her palm and held it toward Fin. “Can you do it again Fin?”

Fin nodded enthusiastically and touched the dried flower bud with his finger, closing his eyes in concentration. Just like before, the dried bulb slowly sprang back to life as a bright pink flower emerged from it. Rey watched in amazement, remembering how long it took her just to heal a small cut. Even Anni and BB-8 looked impressed.

Fin opened his eyes briefly to see the look on his mother’s face, before closing them again. He then scrunched up his face up in concentration as he pressed another finger to the bulb. It quickly grew bigger, becoming more vibrant than the previous flower had. Soon small roots emerged underneath and a small cone-shaped funnel appearing in the middle of the flower, producing a small section of seeds.

Rey’s mouth fell open in surprise and she smiled proudly at her son. “That’s absolutely amazing Fin! Truly impressive! I can’t believe it…you must be a natural-born healer.” Her face then fell as she noticed something seemed off with him. “Fin? Are you okay?”

Fin’s face paled and he quickly removed his hand, turning away as he threw up bile onto the sand. 

“Eww Fin, gross!” Anni said, backing away as he continued to retch.

“Easy darling, easy,” Rey said, placing the flower down and rubbing his back in an attempt to soothe him.

After emptying his stomach, Fin sat up, looking embarrassed as he wiped his mouth. “Sorry…my tummy was hurting…”

“Fin you don’t need to apologize. But you do have to be careful when giving away your life force okay? Now come here.” Rey said, hugging him closely as Fin rested his head against her shoulder, still looking slightly nauseous and embarrassed from before. 

“Does that happen every time?” Fin asked curiously.

“No, no, not once you’ve practiced enough. You’re still young and pretty new at this, so it’ll take a toll on your body at first. Trust me I know. The first time I was able to heal an injury, I lost feeling in my entire arm for nearly a week. But once you’re a little older and have better control, it gets easier. Just make sure not to overdo it okay? You don’t want to get something even worse than a tummy ache.”

Finn shook his head before pulling away. “No, but…I really wanted to get the seeds. Cause then I could use them to make you happy again.”

“What do you mean darling?” Rey asked in confusion. “What makes you think I’m not happy?”

“Cause daddy made you sad.” Fin pointed out. 

Rey frowned, feeling embarrassed that she allowed herself to get worked up and draw her kids' attention to her fight with Ben. 

“I thought, if I can plant the seeds, I can make a whole bunch of flowers and cover the whole farmhouse in them, like in the storybook you read to me. The one about the Naboo gardens?” Fin said looking at his mother with hope. “I know you like them. You said daddy used to give you flowers when you were sad, so I wanted to do that too.”

Rey looked touched by her son’s gesture and ran her hand through his blonde hair affectionately. Despite his fair looks, Fin truly did bear a striking resemblance to Ben, especially when he smiled. Rey couldn’t help but wonder if Ben would’ve had the same hopeful, carefree attitude about him as a boy, had his life not taken such a dark turn. 

It was then that Rey started feeling guilty for hiding so much from her husband, surprising him with BB-8 and making him worry even more than he usually did. She would definitely have to come clean and fix things with him later. After he managed to calm down of course.

“Thank you, Fin. But I assure you, things will be okay between me and daddy. He didn’t make me sad. I could never be sad, especially when I’m with you two. Still, I do look forward to seeing those flowers one day…along with all the other surprises you have in store.” She said proudly.

Fin’s freckled face beamed with pride as he showcased his crooked smile, hugging his mother tightly.

“Mommy…” Anni said, suddenly looking alarmed.

“Yes, Anni?” Rey asked.

“Why is daddy leaving?” 

Rey paused, pulling away from Fin. Just like her daughter, she too felt Ben’s presence starting to leave the farm. 

Quickly she dashed into their home but didn’t see Ben near the sink or anywhere else in the hut. She did however notice that his lightsaber was now missing from its spot on their dresser. Realizing what he was going to do, Rey ran out the back entrance and was just able to spot Ben riding atop the broken land speeder as he sped towards the canyons.

“Ben stop! Wait!” She shouted after him, even though he was now too far away to hear her. “BEN!!!!”

Off in the land speeder, Ben pressed forward, laser-focused on his mission with both his blaster and lightsaber hanging on his belt. He had managed to make a bunch of hasty repairs to the hovercraft, enough to get him where he needed to go. 

Under normal circumstances, he would never leave Rey and the kids alone so abruptly. However, only one thing was on his mind that mattered at that moment. 

He had to protect his family…by any means necessary. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn tries to form a plan for dealing with the assassin droid, when Ben makes an unexpected appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a courteous warning, things are gonna get a little more intense from here on out. Not anything that requires me to up the rating but there will be things like mental anguish, mild violence and mentions of blood.

Chapter 5

After parting ways with Rey, Finn made his way back down into the canyons towards his land speeder, which thankfully still sat where he left it. After a quick inspection, he was relieved to see that the Tusken Raiders didn’t cause any damage to it and headed off in the direction of Mos Espa, using the directions Rey had given him. 

During that time, Finn tried thinking of a plan for dealing with the assassin droid once he found it. Admittedly, nothing concrete came to mind other than him politely asking the droid to leave, something he knew would take a level of persuasion and authority he did not possess. Part of him even considered contacting Poe for help, as Poe seemed to have more sway with members of the Republic then he did. However, Finn realized that would mean revealing what he knew about Rey and her family, which he couldn’t do, prompting him to quickly rethink his strategy.

With the twin suns setting behind the canyon walls, Finn’s sense of direction was getting thrown off as the shadows loomed larger overhead. Without BB-8 to recalibrate his location, he found himself once again driving around in circles and getting lost.

Not wanting to get stuck in the canyons overnight, Finn got an idea and pulled over before hopping out of the speeder. Taking a deep breath, Finn closed his eyes and held out his hand as he tried using the force to gain some semblance of direction.

He waited. And waited. And waited. Opening one eye, he looked around but sensed nothing. He closed them again tried focusing on the IG unit in his mind, but again felt nothing. He tried concentrating harder. Perhaps the force didn’t work on finding droids the way it did with people?

Getting nowhere, Finn let out a breath of frustration. If only his powers were as strong as Rey’s, he could merely force lift himself to the top of the cliffs to get his bearings. 

Part of Finn wondered if perhaps, once this whole ordeal was over and her family safely relocated, he could get Rey to teach him the ways of the force. Maybe then he could finally gain some understanding of this power he still had no real control over. 

Giving up, Finn was about to get back in the speeder when he did in fact sense something approaching. Something familiar…

All at once, Finn was hit by a familiar wave of dread and sensed a wave of anger he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

Hearing a familiar buzzing sound, Finn grabbed his blaster from his belt and turned quickly to aim. He froze in place as he looked upon a blue lightsaber that was aimed directly at his face. Holding the lightsaber and staring at him with intense malice was his former commander, the man he once knew as Kylo Ren.

“Oh no…” Finn said, staring in fear.

“Traitor…” Ben sneered back.

“Aw hell!” Finn exclaimed as he turned to run.

Ben thrust his hand forward, pulling Finn back towards him. Thinking quickly, Finn turned and fired above Ben's head. Ben ducked, releasing his hold on Finn who collapsed to the ground but managed to scurry away. He quickly ducked behind some rocks and managed to crawl his way underneath the land speeder. As Finn attempted to crawl to the other side, he heard the speeder groaning overhead before it was lifted into the air. Ben had raised his hands and shoved them outward, tossing the speeder roughly against the cliff where it collapsed onto its side.

“Oh come on man, that’s a rental!” Finn exclaimed, barely able to react as Ben used the force to summon his blaster out of his hand. 

Catching and tossing it aside, Ben force summoned Finn back again. This time, Ben didn't bother catching him, watching as Finn went flying back through the air and slammed hard against the cliff wall. Finn groaned in pain and attempted to move, only for Ben to run up and grab him by the throat. Pinning him firmly against the wall, Ben pointed his reactivated lightsaber right at Finn's face. 

“What are you doing here traitor?” Ben demanded. “Who sent you?”

Finn struggled for air, clawing at Ben's hand on his throat. Ben only slightly unclenched his hand, allowing Finn to breathe and willing the man's arms to stay pinned at his sides.

"I said, who sent you?" Ben repeated himself.

Finn stared him down, breathing roughly as their eyes met, both filled with mutual hatred.

“ANSWER ME!” Ben demanded tightening his hold again.

“NO ONE!” Finn choked out. “No one, I swear!”

Ben loosened his grip again and leaned intently toward Finn's face, staring him down in intimidation. “Then why are you here? How did you find us?”

“I…I can use the force,” Finn replied, breathing roughly. “That’s how…I was able to sense Rey and find her. I swear…I have no ill intentions toward either of you…I just want…just want to make sure she’ll be safe.”

Ben stared Finn down, looking unconvinced yet contemplative. He then released his hold on Finn's neck and deactivated his lightsaber, clipping it to his belt. Before Finn could relax and take a proper breath, Ben raised his hand towards Finn’s head. Finn immediately felt pressure push down on his brain as Ben began sifting through his thoughts, the pressure gradually getting worse the deeper he went. Finn tried to resist Ben’s mental attack but it was no use, as the man was too powerful. Ben continued to probe his mind further, his face getting angrier with each passing moment.

“You’ve been following us this whole time…been following her...you want to take her away from here…you want to take her away from me…you want to separate me from my children…you ordered an assassin droid to shoot me,” Ben said, his anger growing stronger by the minute.

Every biting word was like a knife digging deeper into Finn’s head. Desperate to stop the pain, Finn focused on his hands, willing them to move on their own despite Ben keeping them immobilized.

Leaning close to Finn, Ben stared at him intently. “You will forget everything you’ve learned about us, and leave this planet forever.”

Finn felt an immense tug on his mind, as if his memories were being pulled out of him. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to close his mind and will his hands to move.

“You WILL forget everything you’ve learned about us, and leave this planet FOREVER!” Ben said, enunciating his words as he pushed even harder against Finn’s mind.

Finn’s body shook from the pain he endured and the effort of holding onto his memories. So much so, that his general badge slipped out of his pocket, landing face up on the ground.

Ben looked down at the ground, his face changing from anger to confused shock as he read the identification of the badge. “Wait…your name is-”

Using that brief moment of distraction, Finn finally wrenched his hands free, reached up, and grabbed onto Ben’s head. Closing his eyes tight, Finn forced himself into Ben’s mind, causing the man to let out a scream of anguish.

Like before, Finn found himself transported through a door into a room filled with hundreds of holo-screens. Unlike Rey’s mind, however, many of these images were slightly distorted, looking cracked and broken, all tainted with varying shades of red.

He could see a few clear, untouched images from what appeared to be Ben Solo’s childhood, featuring him as a young boy being rocked to sleep by his father, his mother trimming and combing back his dark hair, and even him sitting in the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon alongside Han and Chewbacca, playing with a pair of gold dice. 

After that, the memories quickly became distorted and tainted. Although some of them lasted only a brief second at most, they were still greatly upsetting.

A young Ben having night terrors while an unknown voice whispered in his ear. Ben having a temper tantrum, unleashing his power on a nanny droid, causing its head to become crushed in and suddenly break off. His parents loudly arguing while Ben sat listening in the next room, looking guilty. Young Ben watching sadly as his dad flew off in the Falcon, leaving him behind. Ben dining alone at an empty table. Leia leaving Ben behind with Luke at the Jedi temple, barely able to say goodbye as she looks at him with sad apprehension. Ben training alone with a lightsaber, letting out his aggression with the force while others watched nervously, whispering to each other behind his back. Ben waking up to Luke standing menacingly over him with a lightsaber. Ben watching as lightning destroyed the Jedi temple. Ben being brought before Snoke and training with the Knights of Ren. Snoke using incredibly cruel methods to train Ben in the dark side, attacking his mind, pushing his body to the point of exhaustion, and even throwing Ben off a cliff at one point to force him to catch himself. 

Finn flinched, feeling an uncomfortable pressure surrounding him that increased with every passing memory. Something was wrong. He didn’t remember feeling this way in Rey’s mind, despite her own negative memories being present. Ben’s memories however all seemed to be negative, or were at least tainted or fractured in some way from all the darkness and negative emotions that inhabited his mind. Even his happier memories with Rey, all their pivotal moments as a couple, were suddenly becoming fractured, getting more and more distorted as the redness spread to them as well.

Memories of Ben and Rey's time on the run appeared, only these were less pleasant then the ones Rey showed him. The two running from Republic guards on the planet Chandrilia, fleeing what had once been his childhood home. A bounty hunter following them to a rock island in the middle of an ocean planet, shooting and severely injuring Rey as she protected Ben before he struck the hunter down in anger. Rey and Ben being captured and facing down a group of cultists in a dark castle on Mustafar, with Ben nearly being sacrificed in the process. Ben coming upon the tomb of a queen from Naboo and experiencing visions of her tragic death.

Finn could feel an intense pain forming inside him, made of a combination of guilt, shame, helplessness, and suffering. All things Finn remembered feeling when he first felt Rey die back on Exegol. Every bad thing Ben ever felt was now resurfacing and Finn could feel it trying to overwhelm and suffocate him.

Now he was seeing memories of Tatooine. Ben holding his crying infant son who was suffering from a fever, trying desperately to rock him to sleep. Ben quickly grabbing a lightsaber out of his toddler daughter’s hand before it activated, causing her to become upset and scream, breaking all the glass items around her. Ben and Rey fighting against Tusken Raiders who blew a massive hole in the side of their ship, rendering it unflyable. Jawa’s stealing the engine parts from their land speeder after Ben fixed it. Ben watching Rey leave the farm reluctantly with items for bartering, trying to bury his anxiety while he attempted to console his crying children as they tried chasing after her…

Finn buckled over, grabbing his head as the pain got worse, feeling as if someone were stabbing him repeatedly in the brain and heart.

That’s when the really bad memories emerged.

Ben killing his father. Ben watching as dozens of planets were destroyed by Starkiller base. Snoke abusing him for his weaknesses. Ben watching his mother get blasted out into space. Rey getting tortured by Snoke. Ben trying in vain to kill Luke Skywalker on Crait. Ben gazing at Rey with a pleading look as she left him alone in the abandoned base. Rey stabbing him back on Kef Bir. Rey’s dead body lying limply in his arms and Ben dying as he tried bringing her back.

By this point, the pain was becoming unbearable, with Finn trying desperately to detangle his mind from the swirling negative emotional energy produced by Ben’s memories. He could feel the darkness starting to close in and tried focusing his mind to keep it away.

Suddenly the memories changed and Finn was now looking at his own. Him landing on Tatooine, him searching through Mos Eisley, meeting the IG unit, and learning of its mission…

Everything around Finn turned a dark blood red and dark clouds crackled sharply. 

Finn finding Rey, her eventual confession, Finn begging her to leave with him, the two embracing and Finn giving her an innocent kiss.

Finally, Finn felt something snap.

Without warning, he was flung backward into the darkness and away from Ben’s mind.

Opening his eyes, Finn was then physically flung backward into the canyon and landed hard on the ground, his back making a sickening crack noise. Finn let out a pained cry as he collapsed to the ground, feeling a blinding pain in both his body and mind.

As Finn struggled to move, he heard a loud guttural scream nearby, like a feral animal that had been severely wounded. When Finn looked up, he saw Ben with his back turned, falling to his knees and grasping his head as he cried out in pain. The rocks and ground around him shook and even broke in parts. Finn painstakingly pulled himself to his feet, nursing his back in the process. He wondered what was going on when Ben turned abruptly toward him, breathing heavily. What Finn saw make his blood run cold and his skin crawl, as Rey’s warning from earlier suddenly came back to him with solid clarity. 

_ “If you linger on a negative emotion for too long, the mind you are inhabiting will shift toward other similar memories and eventually become overwhelmed by them.”  _

Ben’s eyes were now red and bloodshot, his iris’s a bright, sickly yellow, and his face contorted in rage. Finn could feel the darkness radiating off him in droves, wild and uncontrollable like an untamed animal, even worse than what he felt inside his mind. 

_ “It can cause pain and send the person into either a depressed or anger induced state.” _

And just like that, the man he knew as Kylo Ren had returned…and he was furious. 

Finn stared back at him, paralyzed with fear as he realized the terrible mistake he made and just how badly he messed with Ben's mind. Rey was gonna kill him for this...if Kylo Ren didn't do it first.

Sure enough, as Ben glared daggers at Finn, he ignited his lightsaber. He then held it up, letting out a scream as he sprinted toward Finn. 

Snapping out of it, Finn just barely got out of the way as Ben swung at him wildly, attacking without restraint and slicing through nearly everything around him. Finn tried running away but his back buckled in pain and he fell to the ground. Luckily he had stumbled within reach of his blaster and managed to grab it as Ben caught up. He shot at Ben’s hand, grazing it and causing him to drop his saber. Finn attempted to grab the saber but Ben beat him to it, summoning the saber back and force shoving Finn away, causing him to skid across the ground on his back. Finn groaned, thankful he was wearing his jacket. He attempted to raise his blaster again, only for it to go flying out of his hand and into Ben’s. 

Glaring intently at the former stormtrooper, Ben slowly crushed the blaster within his bare fist before dropping the broken remains to the ground. He then raised his hand again, forcing Finn upwards and toward Ben's open hand. Ben grabbed him hard by the scruff of his shirt before throwing Finn roughly to the ground.

Finn was now gasping for air, his body aching as he felt like a rag doll being thrown about. Suddenly there was a pain in his lungs as Ben stomped on his chest, his boot pressing hard against Finn's sternum.

Ben glared down at Finn, his yellow eyes glowing like a possessed demonic creature as he reignited his lightsaber. Breathing harshly, Ben finally spoke, his voice low and raspy, almost similar to his old voice modulator. 

“I won’t let you take her away from me! You want her so badly, then use your powers and fight me for her!”

“Wait...stop! I can’t-I wasn’t going to-" Finn wheezed as he waved his hand frantically.

“Then DIE!” Ben said, raising his saber high. Finn held up his hands, in a feeble attempt to block the attack. 

He waited for the strike. Nothing happened. Finn slowly looked up and saw Ben frozen in place, his saber still raised to strike but himself unable to move. Finn stared at him and then at his hands. Was he doing that?

Testing it, he waved his hand side to side, yet Ben didn’t move. Finn looked confused. What had stopped him? Ben then lurched slightly, causing Finn to flinch and shove him foot off his chest. Quickly Finn scurried away from him, his back spasming as he did so. As Finn gripped his back, he sensed a familiar presence and looked up in surprise.

Ben meanwhile struggled to move, anger pulsing through his body as he tried desperately to finish off the former stormtrooper once and for all. Suddenly he felt a familiar presence approaching behind him and noticed Finn staring in that direction. 

Ben managed to turn his head slightly and was shocked to see Rey standing there, her hand raised toward him as she used the force to hold him back. Finn watched as Rey approached Ben, feeling equally shocked as well as concerned by her sudden presence.

“Rey? No...stay back!” Finn yelled, finding his voice as he tried waving her away. "He's in raging Sith mode right now!” 

Rey didn’t acknowledge Finn, keeping her attention firmly on Ben as she moved to stand between him and Finn. Ben attempted to move again, only managing to take one step before becoming immobilized once more. Finn grew worried, noticing that Rey's hand and body were trembling as she struggled to keep control over her husband.

“Ben.” Rey pleaded to him. “Please don’t…don’t go down this path again.”

Ben stared at her, breathing roughly as he attempted to move again, still being affected by his inner rage. Keeping her hand raised, Rey walked towards him, placing her other hand on the side of his face. He winced under her touch, prompting her to increase her hold on him. Looking at him tenderly, she gently shushed him and caressed his cheek with her thumb.

“It’s okay Ben, it's okay…I’ll help you.”

Rey then closed her eyes, pressing her fingers against his left temple as she let out a slow breath. Ben quickly closed his eyes, letting out a gasp followed by a few small shuddered breaths.

Just like that, all the rage that had fueled Ben mere moments ago suddenly seemed to evaporate. His body relaxed, his arms now lowering as he extinguished his lightsaber, and his mind slowed down enough to let his emotions clear. When he opened his eyes again, they had returned to their natural brown color. His breathing evened out as he gained a sense of himself again.

Rey opened her eyes, relieved to see the familiar baffled looked on her husband’s face.

“Rey?” Ben spoke out loud as if suddenly realizing she was there. “What happened? How did you-I thought I closed the bond, how are you here?”

Rey was about to respond when she got an odd look on her face. Suddenly she let out a loud gasp, her hand flying to her stomach. Rey then lurched over, letting out a louder gasp of pain before she completely vanished from sight. 

“Rey!” Ben called out, his body going completely slack as her control over him was gone, allowing him to move.

“Woah, what just happened?” Finn looked confused as he attempted to sit up. “Did-did Rey just disappear? Did she teleport or something?”

Ben was just as confused before a horrible thought came to him. "She projected herself."

"She did what!?" Finn exclaimed.

Ben’s panicked mind went into overdrive. She must've used their force bond to pinpoint his location, projecting her way to him so as not to leave the kids alone. That's why Finn was able to see her as well, something that wouldn’t have been possible through their intimate bond. Ben then grew scared, remembering how Luke did the same thing back on Crait and had ultimately perished from the attempt. What if Rey had overstrained herself as well? What if the attempt had hurt both her and the baby?

** *BANG* **

“AHH!!” Ben lurched forward, grabbing his arm which seared with pain. He turned to see a Tusken Raid appear, raising its gun to shoot at him again. Ben thrust his other hand forward, sending the Raider flying backward against the canyon wall.

Finn’s head shot up as he noticed more Tusken Raiders approaching them, raising their weapons to attack. Looking back at Ben as he sat hunched over holding his arm, Finn noticed the blaster hanging off his belt.

“I’m borrowing this.” Finn quickly grabbed the blaster and forced himself to stand up, using the blaster to fire back at the Tusken Raiders. He managed to hit one in the head, but the others were soon firing upon them. Grabbing Ben by his other arm, Finn pulled him up and away from the line of fire as they raced toward the land speeder, which was still propped up against the canyon wall. They both took cover, kneeling underneath as a hail of bullets began raining down on the speeder much to Finn's agitation.

“Oh great, there goes my deposit!” Finn exclaimed in frustration. 

The Tusken Raiders let out a howl as more started to join them. Ben quickly ripped off his sleeve, revealing a bleeding wound caused by a bullet grazing his arm. He used the cloth to bandage his injury, taking some deep breaths before pulling out his lightsaber. Finn glanced at him, looking fearful for a moment before Ben spoke.

“I can’t deflect their slug bullets, but I can block them from harming us. I’ll give you cover while you take out the snipers. Change the setting on that blaster to rapid-fire. It’ll give you more ammo power.” 

It took him a moment, but Finn nodded in understanding before attempting to change the setting on the blaster.

“On my command, when I count to three, I’ll jump out and then you follow after-"

“Hey! Let’s get one thing straight!” Finn interrupted quickly. “I’m a high ranking General now, which means, I’m the one who’s giving the orders!”

Ben stared back at Finn, surprised by his tone. Finn stared firmly at him, breaking the tension as he held up the blaster. “Sorry, where are the settings on this thing?”

Ben rolled his eyes and pointed at the buttons on the handle. Finn quickly adjusted the settings, powering up the blasters before looking back at Ben. “You said three right?”

Ben nodded and readied his lightsaber. Finn bent down, still wincing from the injury to his back, yet remaining at the ready to cover Ben once he started attacking.

“One…two…three!”

Taking a deep breath, Ben jumped out of their hiding space and immediately began using his lightsaber to swiftly cut through the bullets, drawing the Raider’s attention to him. Seeing the air start to clear around him, Finn stood up and followed, shooting at the Raiders and nailing a few of the snipers. Ben continued to cut through the storm of bullets, sparks occasionally flying off his lightsaber, and used the force to slow down more incoming bullets until he got close enough to strike down a few Raiders. Finn continued to cover him from a distance as more and more Tusken Raiders started showing up in the canyons.

“There’s too many! Where are these guys coming from?” Finn shouted as he started backing away toward Ben. “There was only a few before!”

“You don’t know much about sand people, do you?” Ben answered as his swings got wilder.

Soon Finn and Ben were fighting nearly back to back, with Ben cutting through the barrage of bullets while Finn continued to shoot everything around him. 

With his arms getting sore, Ben knew he had to stem the flow of the Raiders before they were overwhelmed. He then noticed some of the snipers were standing next to piles of rocks, some of which were perched precariously on the cliffside just above the Raiders below. This gave him an idea.

“Look out!”

***BANG***

Finn pushed Ben aside as a Raider suddenly jumped within close proximity to them at shot at Ben, only to miss. It then quickly aimed and shot at Finn instead, hitting him in the side.

***BANG***

"GAHH!!" Finn let out a cry of pain, grabbing his hip and collapsing facedown on the ground. 

Ben was shocked by Finn’s actions and in that split second, rushed the Tusken Raider, slicing its head off with his saber. Wasting no time, Ben stood over Finn and raised his hands high toward the cliffs, clenching them into fists and bringing them down hard in one swift movement.

All the rocks on the cliffs suddenly came crashing down at once, bringing down the snipers and falling on top of the Raiders below, crushing them underneath all at once. The ones that managed to survive immediately retreated back through the canyon, leaving only Ben standing alone over Finn amidst a large pile of rocks and bodies.

Ben looked down to see Finn groaning and writhing on the ground in pain. Quickly, he knelt and turned Finn over, inspecting the wound on his hip which was now bleeding through his clothes.

Just then Finn looked up and raised his blaster at Ben, who barely had time to react as Finn shot at his head.

Ben froze in place. However, he experienced no pain. Instead, he heard a loud wailing noise. Confused, he looked behind him and saw a sniper perched on the cliff that had been aiming a rifle at his head. It dropped its gun and fell over the cliffside, its body hitting the ground with a thud. Ben’s heart raced as he realized how close he came to getting picked off within the last couple of minutes.

Finn dropped his blaster and fell back, letting out a gasp of pain as he started breathing heavily. Ben gazed over the traitorous former stormtrooper, confusion, and conflict evident on his face.

On the one hand, it’d be easy for him to leave the man to die from his wounds, thus protecting his family’s location once and for all. On the other hand, this man that was supposedly his enemy had also managed to save his hide not once, but twice in the same day, despite Ben’s earlier attempt to kill him.

Looking at his wound, Ben made his decision and sat by Finn’s side. 

He placed his hand over Finn’s hip, closing his eyes in concentration. Slowly Finn’s wound started to close up, with even the bullet falling out in the process. 

Finn’s breathing slowed as the pain started to leave him. He looked up and was surprised to see Ben kneeling at his side, using his power to heal his wound. Finn also noticed that blood was now leaking through Ben's bandage, running down his arm and dripping onto the ground. 

Once Finn’s bullet wound was healed, Ben finally broke concentration. Tenderly he held his injured arm, sitting down as he silently gave himself time to recover.

Finn looked down to see that his wound had completely closed up, leaving behind a faded scar. He also noticed that his back had stopped hurting as well, allowing him to sit up and move around a little easier. He looked curiously over at Ben, who sat with his back to him catching his breath. For a while, the two men said nothing, merely sitting together in recovery amidst an awkward silence.

“You…saved me...” Finn said, finally addressing Ben. “You healed me. Why?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ben responded, turning his head slightly. “I tried to kill you…yet you took a bullet for me. Why did you do that?”

Finn was silent for a moment, looking down before resuming a serious demeanor. “Rey…asked me to protect her family. Which apparently includes you. So I did.”

Ben said nothing for a moment before asking his questions from earlier. “Why did you come here really? Why did you give her that droid?”

“I wanted to bring her home,” Finn answered honestly. “But Rey wouldn't let me. Said she had a new one here with you. So I lent her BB-8, to help you guys out around the farm, as well as to call me if something goes wrong.”

Despite his sincere tone, Ben still shook his head in disbelief. “How do I know you won't use that thing to spy on us? That you’re not using it to track us should we run?” Ben was now looking straight at Finn with scrutiny. “How do I know you won’t go blabbing to your rebel buddies or sell me out to the Republic the first chance you get?” 

Finn paused for a moment, as if questioning that himself, before answering simply. “Because Rey asked me not to. Believe it or not, she’s very insistent on you not dying.”

He could feel Ben tense up behind him, his mind full of conflict before responding. “You expect me to believe what you say, given your traitorous history-"

“I don’t expect ANYTHING from the likes of you!” Finn snapped. “Believe what you want, but know that I don't betray those who matter to me. Yes, I was a First Order traitor and lied my way into the Resistance initially. But you know what? I don't regret my past actions in the least! I did what I had to survive, what I thought was right in order to help everyone, and I don’t owe you a damn thing, nor am I obligated to justify myself to you. ESPECIALLY after all the horrible things you’ve done!”

The air hung heavy between them.

Ben then let out a dark chuckle. “You’re much bolder than I remember. So much anger…is it because you know she’s with me now? I bet that burns you up inside…seeing the woman you love with the man you hate.”

Finn said nothing as he clenched his jaw, prompting Ben to continue.

“I know you’re in love with her. I’ve seen it in your head. So why are you not trying to kill me right now? You could’ve let me die back there, freed her, taken her for yourself-"

“You’re right, I do love her!” Finn said turning to face him, anger evident on his face. “I love her so much, that I’m willing to leave her on this filthy dustball of a planet and keep the location of her, her kids, and yes, even you, my former genocidal boss, a secret. Just because she asked me to! I am willingly putting my job, my reputation, and the trust of someone I care very deeply about on the line, just to keep all of you safe. So ya know, you’re welcome!”

Finn turned back around, folding his arms in a pout. Ben stared at him for a bit, processing everything the former stormtrooper just told him. He then turned toward him, his tone now much less intense. “Your name’s Finn right?”

Finn said nothing, turning his head slightly in acknowledgment of his name as Ben continued.

“When the twins were born, Rey and I flipped a coin to see who would name which child. I ended up naming our daughter while she chose the name of our son. Wouldn’t explain to me why she chose that particular name…now I see why.”

Finn’s shoulders relaxed a bit, unable to tell whether Ben meant that as a compliment, a realization, or a joke.

Ben looked at him for a moment in contemplation. “Finn…for what it's worth, I-AHHHHH!” 

Ben shouted as he flinched forward, closing his eyes as he grabbed his head. Finn too let out a cry as he was struck with a sudden, intense pain, holding his forehead as he clenched his eyes shut.

_ “Ben! _ ”

Suddenly both men were met with the same vision. Rey lying on a bed, crying in pain as she held her stomach. Laser fire setting parts of the farm ablaze. The twins with tears running down their faces as they cried out fearfully for Ben. BB-8 by Rey’s side, beeping at her frantically as her hand slid limply over the side of the bed, faint purple electricity radiating from her fingers.

_ “DADDY!” _

Ben’s eyes snapped open as terror overtook him. “I’ve made a horrible mistake!”

Before Finn could even ask what happened, Ben had sprinted to his feet and took off into the canyon. Finn got to his feet as well, trying to process the visions he saw. Just then, the comm on his wrist beeped and he answered it, hearing BB-8 on the other end.

"Talk to me BB-8."

BB-8 let out a series of frantic beeps and whistles, all of which seemed to confirm what Finn and Ben already knew.

"Alright just hang tight. I'll be right there. Try to keep her calm."

Shutting off his comm, Finn raced over toward his overturned land speeder. While his vision had not been as clear as Ben’s, he knew one thing for sure. Rey was in trouble and needed help. They had to get back to the farm.

Ben meanwhile found his way back to his own land speeder and was now driving it back through the canyon. He didn’t get far before the vehicle sputtered, his repairs unable to last, as it skidded to a halt.

“Stupid piece of junk!” Ben screamed as he kicked the vehicle, jumping out as he raced off on foot. 

He was barely out of the canyon when he heard an engine revving behind him. He turned to see Finn approaching, driving his busted up land speeder which let out from sparks from the bullet holes, but otherwise was still working.

“Jump in and take the wheel,” Finn said moving out of the driver’s seat. Ben nodded and climbed in, steering the speeder out of the canyon towards his home.

* * *

The twin suns were disappearing into the horizon by the time Ben and Finn had arrived back on the moisture farm. The first thing they saw was the kids rushing out of the home, desperately waving their arms. “Daddy! Daddy!”

Ben leaped out of the speeder before it even stopped, forcing Finn to grab the wheel to stop it from crashing. Ben sprinted toward his kids, who seemed upset.

“Daddy! Something's wrong with mommy! She’s crying!” Anni cried out.

"Her tummy’s hurting. I think the baby’s hurting too!” Fin said looking worried.

“No…no not now.” Ben looked toward the house in a panic and back at the kids, kneeling to them as he grasped her shoulders. “I need you two to stay out here, okay? I’ll go take care of mommy. Just stay out here until I come back.”

Before they could respond, Ben sprinted into the hut, leaving them confused and upset. 

Just then Finn appeared, having parked the land speeder and was now trying to catch his breath, as he was not used to running on sand.

The kids looked at Finn in surprise, both lingering back as they gazed wearily upon the stranger. 

“Fin who is that?” Anni asked curiously.

“I don’t know…” Fin said, looking scared.

They never had any visitors on the farm before. In fact, the twins had never even seen another human before outside themselves and their parents. Granted they knew others existed as Ben and Rey had read books to them, showing all the different species that lived on other planets, including other humans. Still, given how the only creatures that usually came to the farm were there to steal things, both kids decided to approach with caution and went to grab their sabers.

Finn huffed and puffed as he knelt down, feeling the burning of his legs. Cripes how he hated this planet, and now he was even starting to hate sand. He knew it was a stupid thing to hate but still found himself swearing never set foot on it again once he was finally away from this place, hopefully with Rey and her family in tow.

Catching his breath, Finn slowly looked up, only to get a weird sense of Deja-vu. A wooden saber was now being pointed straight at his face, this time by a young blonde-haired boy with familiar brown eyes, looking scared while he did so. 

“Who…who are you?” The boy asked nervously as he tried keeping his sword from shaking. “Are you here to rob us?”

Finn was about to respond when a dark-haired girl appeared at the boy’s side, also pointing a wooden saber at him but with a much more intense gaze from her hazel eyes. “You heard him, stranger. Tell us who you are and why you’re here!”

Despite them trying to look menacing, Finn couldn’t help but smile. While he had seen them from a distance, now that he was up close, there was no denying these two were Rey and Ben’s kids, as the resemblance between them, both in looks and demeanor, was uncanny. The girl's stern glare and aggressive stance especially reminded him of a lot of Rey from their first encounter on Jakku.

“Hey there,” Finn said, raising a hand to wave as he tried calmly smiling at them. “You must be Rey’s kids. It’s nice to finally meet you both.”

“How do you know our mommy?” Anni asked suspiciously, cautiously stepping forward with her saber raised.

“I’m a very good friend of hers, and I’m here to help her out.” He calmly explained.

The kids paused, looking at each other before Fin responded. “Are you the doctor?”

Finn looked confused. “Doctor?”

“Mommy said when it was time for the baby to come, she was gonna send daddy to get the doctor.” Fin explained.

“Mommy was hurting a lot,” Anni said, looking worried. “Are you here to make her feel better?”

Finn felt a small wave of panic, realizing Rey must’ve gone into labor, and felt the familiar urge to run quickly to her side. However, seeing the scared looks on the kids’ faces stopped him, as he figured it best to console them first, thus reducing the stress for them and their parents.

“Actually…yes. I am the doctor, here to help your mom with the baby.” Finn nodded before awkwardly saluting. “Doctor Finn, at your service.”

Anni’s face lit up as she turned to her brother. “Hear that Fin? He has the same name as you!”

“Really?” Fin asked lowering his saber.

“Sure do,” Finn said holding his hand to him. “Nice to finally meet you Little Fin.”

Fin raised his hand hesitantly but then shook the other Finn’s hand, finally smiling.

Finn smiled back before looking at his twin. “And you must be-“ 

“Annika!” His sister declared, sticking her hand out to him. “But you can call me Anni!” 

Finn smiled and shook her hand as well. “Nice to meet you too Anni. You remind me of your mom a lot, you know. She nearly beat me up too the first time we met.”

Anni frowned slightly. “Will she be alright? Mommy was crying a lot.”

Finn looked sympathetically at them both, trying to hide his own worry as he knelt down and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. “Don’t worry kids. I won’t let anything bad happen to her, or your new baby brother or sister. I promise. Trust me, if I could take away her pain just like that I’d-"

Finn then paused as an idea suddenly came to mind. “Wait a sec-"

“What is it, Doctor Finn?” Fin asked.

Finn suddenly smiled in realization. “I think I do have something that can actually help her. Both of you come with me. I’m gonna need your help.”

* * *

Back in the canyon, IG-66 was gradually making its way through the long winding maze, scanning the rocks and ground for any type of reading.

The assassin droid had been on its way toward Mos Espa when it was ambushed by Tusken Raiders, which the droid was easily able to neutralize and annihilate. During the battle, however, some rocks were blasted loose, revealing the slain corpse of another IG unit. IG-66 recognized its predecessor and scanned the remains, revealing lightsaber slashes across its armor and the nubs where its arms and legs used to be. The scan also picked up some small traces of unknown human DNA, which IG-66 had followed in the opposite direction, all the way down to the south side of the canyon.

The droid soon came upon the area where a group of dead Raiders lay strewn on the ground, crushed beneath an apparent rockslide. IG-66 scanned around the area until finally, it picked up on something else. 

Walking forward, the droid examined a small gold badge with the Republic insignia lying on the ground. Scanning it, IG-66 recognized it as belonging to the General he had run into back in the Mos Eisley bar. He also detected some of the General’s blood on the ground, next to the crushed remains of a blaster, along with another splatter of blood that set off alarms in his system.

** “Target DNA detected. Analyzing…” ** IG-66 scanned the unidentified blood splatter before a confirmation alarm went off.  ** “Match found. DNA confirmed to be of Kylo Ren. Performing situational assessment…Assessment reached. Former Supreme Leader Kylo Ren has fought and injured the Republic General Finn. Possible active hostage situation in effect. Locking onto DNA signatures to track.” **

With its newfound data, IG-66 managed to track traces of both Ben and Finn’s DNA, following a path through the canyons that would lead it into the desert and eventually, toward the farmlands.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben returns to find Rey in pain. Luckily, Finn might have a solution.  
> *Angst, anxiety and fluff ahead*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, hope you guys are staying safe and healthy out there in this difficult time. I wanted to post earlier but things have been chaotic both with the uncertainty of my job and having to move while everything's on lockdown. Luckily writing has been helping and even got me started on a new Star Wars related story. Won't say what it's about at this point since I'm still writing the outline, but it'll definitely be more Reylo related and be something of an AU crossover.
> 
> Also side note, I ended up splitting this chapter into two parts to condense the narrative hence the increased chapter count (sorry habit of mine). Also also, I kinda made up my own medicine lore a bit in this one for plot device purposes. Will try to post more often once I'm done with the move and assuming my public service job doesn't kill me first *fingers crossed*

** Chapter 6 **

“Rey? REY!?”

Ben rushed into the hut, looking around desperately for Rey. Sensing her distress, he raced towards their bedroom to find her kneeling over on the floor with her back to him. Ben could feel waves of pain rolling off her as she held her stomach, all while breathing heavily. 

In front of her was BB-8, who was beeping and whistling excessively as he attempted to keep her calm and focused.

Ben sneered and moved forward, kicking the ball-shaped droid aside. “Move!”

BB-8 rolled across the room, bouncing against the wall before it started beeping angrily back at Ben.

“Out, now!” Ben commanded, pointing toward the doorway.

Still beeping angrily, BB-8 rolled around the two, trying to stay out of range of Ben. Though it left the room, BB-8 still lingered close to the doorway, despite the dirty looks Ben kept throwing it.

“Ben…”

Hearing Rey’s strained voice, Ben knelt beside her and cupped her face. “Rey? Rey, it’s alright. I’m here. Look at me.”

Rey looked up, her face red and sweaty as she gritted her teeth in pain. “Ben, I made an awful mistake…the baby…”

“It’s okay, it’ll be okay. Let’s get you lying down.” Ben said quickly, stroking her face before moving to grasp her arm. Slowly he pulled Rey to her feet, which proved somewhat difficult as her legs wouldn't stop wobbling, and carefully brought her over to their bed. As she sat down, Rey let out a loud gasp and leaned over, grabbing her stomach again as she took ragged breaths.

Ben was immediately at her side, holding her shoulders tight. “It’s alright, remember to breathe. It should pass in a moment.”

Rey took a few deep breaths, squeezing her eyes shut as the pain seemed to worsen. Ben wrapped his arms securely around her, pulling her close and trying to calm her through their bond as much as possible. Rey pressed her forehead into Ben’s shoulder and held onto his shirt, clutching it tightly in her fist.

While comforting her, Ben’s hand drifted down towards her bump as he tried sensing the baby. His face fell in worry. The baby was indeed in trouble, having painful spasms which caused its presence to both spike and weaken rapidly.

“It’s all my fault.” Rey cried into his shoulder. “You were right Ben, I was pushing myself too much and putting us both at risk. I never should have projected myself in my condition-”

“No Rey, don’t blame yourself.” Ben shook his head tightening his grip on her. “If anything, it’s my fault. I shouldn't have run out on you like that and left you and the kids alone. Besides if you hadn’t interfered when you did, I would’ve killed your friend and been lost to the dark side again.”

Rey tightened her grip on his shirt. “You only reacted that way because I brought BB-8 here and told Finn about us. I should’ve prepared you and explained everything to you better.” Tears were now running down her face. “And now because of my carelessness, our baby’s going to-“

“No, no, no, don’t say that.” Ben shook his head frantically, forcing her to look at him. “Don’t even think of it. Our baby will be okay. I’m going to get help and you'll both get through this, I promise you.”

Rey tried to force a smile at her husband’s determination. “Ben…I-AHH!!”

Ben’s hands quickly wrapped around Rey as she lurched forward again. BB-8 beeped in alarm from the doorway and quickly rolled away to the next room.

Gently as he could, Ben helped Rey lean back onto their bed, propping a pillow behind her head before lifting her legs so she could lie down comfortably. As he went to pull the covers loose, he watched as Rey closed her eyes, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as she placed a hand on her stomach, cradling it with a pained look on her face. 

Ben froze in place. The first part of his vision from earlier had come true.

Quickly, Ben pulled up the blanket and tucked it around Rey before standing up. For a moment he stood completely still, unable to move or think as he helplessly watched his wife laying on the bed in pain. Feeling the brink of an oncoming panic attack, Ben had to remind himself to breathe and not give in to his anxiety. 

What they needed now was a plan of action. He had to get help and fast if he wanted to save them, but he didn’t want to leave Rey or the kids alone again. And Finn had gotten himself lost back in the canyons meaning he’d have no idea how to get back to Mos Eisley if Ben sent him alone. They were stuck...

Just then, Finn’s voice rang through the hut. “Rey?”

BB-8 suddenly reappeared at the doorway, gesturing Finn in its direction. 

The former stormtrooper then appeared, looking worried as he walked into the bedroom toward Rey.

“Rey! Oh man, are you okay?” Finn asked as he walked around the side of the bed opposite Ben.

Rey opened her eyes on hearing the familiar voice and looked up in surprise. “Finn? You’re here?”

“Of course I am, just like I said I would be,” Finn said, kneeling as he clasped both his hands around Rey's outstretched hand.

Ben flinched, frowning as he felt a flare of possessiveness surge through him, making him want to smack Finn’s hands away. Luckily he was able to hold back the urge for Rey's sake.

"Level with me now. Are you in full-on labor?" Finn asked urgently.

“I…I’m not sure…” Rey said, breathing harshly. “My water hasn’t broken but-"

“She’s been having contractions,” Ben interjected as he grasped Rey’s other hand. “They’ve been happening frequently and are mostly erratic in length. I don’t think it’s labor, but the baby is definitely in distress.”

Finn looked from Ben to Rey, seeming both alarmed but also relieved. “Alright then. If that’s the case, I may have a way to help you both without making the baby come early. There's a medicine I brought with me. It’s a bit experimental, but theoretically, it should work. You trust me right Rey?”

Rey nodded her head immediately, causing Ben to stiffen beside her.

“Good.” Finn nodded before looking up at the doorway. “Kids? You can come in now.”

Anni and Fin then entered the bedroom, each nervously carrying the end of a long brown duffle bag.

Ben’s eyes widen in alarm and he turned sharply to Finn, growling under his breath. “Why did you let them in here? I don’t want them seeing her like this!”

“Relax, I got this,” Finn said under his breath before addressing the twins. 

“Alright kids, place the bag on the table and come say hi to your mom real quick.”

The twins set the bag down before racing toward Finn, who let go of Rey's hand so that the twins could grasp it instead. While they did so, Finn quickly made his way over to his bag and began taking items out, including several pieces of medical equipment.

“My darlings…” Rey smiled at her two children, squeezing both their hands gently.

“It’s gonna be okay mommy,” Anni assured her.

“Yeah, Doctor Finn’s got medicine to make you and the baby feel all better.” Fin nodded, squeezing his mom’s hand back.

“Doctor?” Ben asked in confusion.

Rey looked equally confused but a quick glance from Finn across the room told her to just play along.

“That’s right…‘Doctor’ Finn will indeed make me all better, you’ll see.” She said optimistically. “I’ll be up and about in no-"

Rey paused, closing her eyes and clenching her jaw shut as another wave of pain hit her, causing her to quickly let go of the kids’ hands. Ben sensed her incoming pain and quickly stood up, leaning over and slipping his hand into hers instead, holding them both together.

The kids watched in alarm, prompting Finn to quickly walk over and divert their attention away from Rey. “Hey, how about you two help me put the medicine together? It’s real easy, I’ll show you how. Just follow me over here okay?”

Anni nodded and followed Finn over to where the medical supplies were. Fin however stood in place, watching his mother who was now squeezing Ben’s hands tightly and seemed to be trying not to scream.

“Mommy?” Fin asked as moved towards her.

Ben noticed his son looking worriedly at Rey and abruptly held up a hand to stop Fin from getting closer.

“Son. Go help Anni. I got your mom.” He ordered, trying to keep his tone calm. “The sooner you finish making the medicine, the sooner she will get better.”

Fin still seemed to hesitate, glancing at Rey who had now opened her eyes and was trying to give him a reassuring look. “Go ahead Fin…I know you can do it.”

Finally, Fin nodded and went to join Anni and Finn, who had laid out a few items on the table for them. Near Anni was three metal parts that seemed to make up a tube-shaped device while near Fin was a small vial of clear liquid.

“Alright Anni, I need you to put these three pieces together. And Fin, I need you to shake this vial as hard as you can until the liquid turns into gel. Can you two do that?” Finn asked them.

They both nodded and immediately set to their task with purpose. Ben watched them from afar, surprised that Finn was able to get the kids to do as he asked. He also noticed that Finn was fumbling with another device inside his bag and briefly held up a small vial of bright blue liquid.

“Finished!” The twins said at the same time with Anni holding up her newly built device and Fin holding up the gel-filled vial.

“Great job you two!” Finn said smiling widely as he took the items and combined them so that the vial clicked into the long metal device and lit up. He then knelt to their level to address them. “Now, I have a really important task for you two. I need you both to grab your wooden swords and stand guard at the front entrance. Make sure no one enters this hut while I’m giving your mom the medicine. I’ll come back for you both once I’m done. Sound good?”

The twins nodded and immediately raced past BB-8 and out of the bedroom to stand guard. Once they were gone, Finn reached into his bag and took out the device he had been fiddling with, which resembled a small mini blaster. Ben paled as he looked at the long needle that protruded from the front.

“Alright, I have the medicine ready to go,” Finn said, walking toward them as he pulled out the vial of glowing blue liquid.

“Wait, that’s the device you’re using?” Ben asked glancing from the long-needled device to the small tube device the twins helped build. “What about that thing?”

“Oh, this?” Finn grabbed it and casually handed it to Ben. “It’s a cold pack. The kids wanted to help and these things are really easy to assemble. Just press it to her forehead and it should activate.”

Ben looked confused but still placed it against Rey’s forehead, who let out a sigh of relief as she seemed to relax a little. “Much better…”

“Thought you looked a little overheated,” Finn noted as he snapped the blue vial into the device.

“What is that stuff?” Ben asked, pointing at the glowing liquid. “It looks like Bacta gel.”

“That's cause technically it is,” Finn explained holding it up for them both to see. “This is concentrated Bacta. The Republic's science facilities found a way to condense regular Bacta into a pure liquid form for injection purposes, and have been experimenting with it. Supposedly it’s a stronger and faster working pain killer and a much more potent healing component than in its gel form. My...partner gave me this sample. To use in case of an emergency during my travels. This should be able to help stabilize the baby and ease Rey's pain.”

“And this has been tested before, right? On other pregnant women?” Ben asked, glaring apprehensively at the device.

Finn paused for a moment, looking at Ben wearily. “Actually… it’s never been tested in this type of scenario before. Mostly cause testing only started a week ago...”

“What!?” Ben exclaimed.

“But that’s okay!” Finn added quickly upon seeing Ben’s face. “The regular test subjects did just fine with it. No weird side effects or anything…that I’m aware of. Aside from maybe one or two people possibly going into a brief coma-”

“No, absolutely not!” Ben said, dropping the cold pack and standing up.

“Ben wait-” Rey tried to grab his hand, but Ben had already stomped over to Finn, who backed away in fear.

“There is no way you are injecting some untested chemical into my wife!” Ben stated firmly. “How do you know that stuff won’t end up hurting her and the baby?”

“Look I don’t alright!?” Finn admitted. “But what choice do we have? Neither of them is doing well right now, we’re at least half a day’s trip away from the nearest doctor and this is the only medicine we have at our disposal. I wouldn’t have suggested this if it was dangerous or unless I thought there was no other way.”

Ben was about to argue when Rey finally managed to grab his hand, looking at him with pleading in her eyes.

“Ben, please. I can feel the baby getting weaker…we can’t risk an early delivery, we need to do something fast.”

Ben’s face broke with worry as he stared back at her. After a moment, he relented with a reluctant nod, shooting Finn a glare before resuming his spot beside Rey.

“You’re sure this will be safe enough for the baby Finn?” Rey asked in concern.

“Pretty sure. I think as long as we use the smallest dosage, it should be safe enough for the both of you.” Finn responded.

Ben stiffened as he watched Finn power up the device. Finn then looked toward the doorway. “BB-8 I need your assistance.”

BB-8 whistled and beeped as it rolled into the room, much to Ben’s further alarm and displeasure.

“Why are you calling that thing in here?”

“Because I need him to administer the injection,” Finn explained. “For this to work as quickly and effectively as possible, we need to inject it right into Rey’s spine. I don’t have steady enough hands for this and if I mess up, she could end up paralyzed.”

Ben’s eyes widened in panic as he watched BB-8 roll onto the bed towards Rey.

“Hey BB-8,” Rey said, petting the droids head affectionately while it whistled words of comfort.

“Alright Rey, I need you to lean on your side and lift the back of your shirt a little,” Finn instructed as he knelt beside her. 

Rey did as he asked, exposing the lower half of her back to him. Finn then grabbed a cleansing cloth and wiped it down her back, ignoring Ben who looked like he was seconds away from crushing Finn’s head in with his bare hands.

Finn then fitted the device into one of BB-8’s extended arms as the droid rolled into position. Ben was gripping the bed tightly at this point, his stare intensifying, his knuckles turning white, and his shoulders hunched as if he were getting ready to pounce.

“Okay, I have about six volumes worth of Bacta on hand. We’re only going to inject you with one as a test.” Finn explained to Rey. “If it’s as strong as the Republic med staff says it is, then that’s all it should take to stop the contractions and stabilize you and the baby. If it doesn’t, we’ll inject another after about a standard hour. Hopefully, that’ll buy us enough time until we get you to a proper doctor.”

Rey nodded in understanding, but Ben was looking tenser by the minute.

“Ready BB-8? Make sure to line it up perfectly at the base of her spine-"

“Stop!” Ben protested standing up. “Get that thing away from her! I won't let you do this, it’s too risky! There has to be another way!”

“Ben we have to-" Rey tried reaching out to him, only for him to turn sharply as he began loudly shouting.

“NO Rey we don’t! Taking risks is what got you into this mess in the first place! What if this stuff kills you? What if it causes you to lose the baby? We have no idea if it'll even work!"

"Ben please just let them-" Rey begged him.

"I WILL NOT stand by and risk your lives on the word of someone who isn't even a real doctor!” Ben said shaking his head rapidly, his chest heaving quickly. “I won’t risk it! I WON'T!”

Finn could see items around the bedroom shake violently and the lights flickering. He could feel the extreme force energy coming off Ben, who was starting to hyperventilate and seemed to be seconds away from losing it.

Seeing the fear on Rey’s face, Finn decided to do something drastic. “Rey, could you give us a sec? BB-8 watch her.”

Before Rey could respond, Finn went over to Ben and grabbed him firmly by the arm. With a surprising amount of strength, he pulled him away from the bed. Ben snapped out of his rage, causing everything to stop moving, and opened his mouth to protest only for Finn to deprive him of the chance.

Quickly Finn guided him out of the bedroom, not looking at him until he found a spot in the hut where they could speak privately.

“Get your filthy hands off me you traitor!” Ben said shaking his grip loose. “How dare you drag me away from her at a time like this! I ought to strike you down right now-”

“Will you PLEASE stop freaking out and cool the explosive Sith rage for once in your damn life!?” Finn snapped at him. 

Ben was taken aback by his tone, prompting Finn to quickly continue.

“Look, I know you’re anxious and scared as all hell about losing Rey and the baby. Trust me, I am too. But you NEED to get a GRIP!” Finn said firmly, practically getting in Ben’s face. “Put all that stuff aside, get yourself together, and let BB-8 and me do this for her. Believe it or not, BB-8 and I both care about Rey as much as you do. And we’re doing everything in our power to save them, even if we don’t have the most preferred methods of doing so. But right now, she is sitting in there feeling just as scared and helpless about all this as you are. The last thing she needs is having to worry about going into premature labor while you stand there freaking out and destroying everything in sight! You don’t want that right? So YOU need to be the levelheaded one here and keep Rey calm through this, for the sake of both her and your kid!”

Ben was breathing heavily. He wanted to shout, to grab his lightsaber, and angrily lash out at Finn for pulling him away from Rey during her moment of need. Yet Finn’s blunt but stern words somehow seemed to get through and even struck a nerve with him. A deep frown formed on Ben’s face while a lump rose in his throat, causing him to cover his face with his hands as he struggled to keep his emotions under control.

“I just…I can’t lose them. Either of them." Ben said in a strained voice. "I won’t be able to live with myself. I couldn’t go on…knowing that my actions led to them getting hurt. Or worse…”

Finn nearly blinked in surprise as Ben trembled before him. He had never seen the man look so vulnerable and broken before, making Finn wonder if Ben was still being affected by the mental attack from earlier. It made Finn think back to Ben’s memories, remembering how alone Ben had been even as a child and how big a factor it had played into his decent to the dark side. Rey seemed to be the driving force in changing all that for Ben, giving him the love and acceptance he yearned for, as well as a home and a family of his own to love and protect. 

Now he was on the cusp of losing her, and it was partially his fault. 

Even without having seen his memories, Finn could tell just how guilt-ridden the man was over his past actions and how especially protective he was of Rey, who had given up everything she knew and loved just to be with him. No doubt he blamed himself for Rey being in the state she was now due to him chasing after Finn, who himself felt a twinge of guilt, partly for messing with Ben’s mind as well as being the reason Ben took off in the first place.

Trying to be compassionate despite their animosity, Finn gripped his shoulders hard, forcing Ben to lower his hands and finally make eye contact.

“Look at me…Ben,” Finn said, as calmly as he could manage. “You were once the leader of an entire galactic empire and gave it all up to take down the most powerful Sith Lord that ever lived. You fought in many battles, faced down numerous armies almost single-handedly, and are one of the strongest force wielders in the galaxy. You even brought your wife back from the dead and lived the tell about it. I know you have the strength to get both her and yourself through this. So please, just this once, let us help you guys, so you can focus on giving Rey exactly what she needs. You’ve done it before. I know you can do it again."

Ben's breathing evened out and his face softened a bit as he took in Finn's surprisingly comforting words. 

"Now go back in there, and do what you do best; Be the attentive husband and father your wife needs you to be. We'll take care of the rest.”

Spurred on by Finn, Ben nodded firmly and quickly returned to the bedroom, Finn following close behind him.

Rey looked up as the two re-entered, with Ben rushing to her side. She looked concerned but Ben wrapped his hands around hers and kissed her knuckles, looking at her with reassurance. He then turned towards Finn and nodded. “Do it. Quickly.”

“Alright then.” Finn nodded back in relief, rejoining BB-8 who still had the device at the ready. “We’re gonna start the injection process now. Rey, make sure to lie as still as you possibly can.”

“Hold on a moment,” Rey said as she closed her eyes, her face straining with pain as another contraction came on.

Ben kept his hold on her firmly, caressing her hands with his thumb to comfort her, even placing the cold pack against her forehead for relief. Finn watched as Ben acted calmly and tenderly with Rey, a sharp contrast from before, and noticed how she gave the smallest of appreciative smiles just from his touch alone. While Finn still felt a small twinge of jealousy, he was starting to see the Ben Solo that Rey had fallen in love with from her memories, which gave him some much-needed assurance that he had done the right thing by standing up to him, if only for her sake. 

After a few moments, the contraction seemed to pass.

“Okay…do it now before another one comes,” Rey said, trying to keep her breathing on a normal level.

Finn nodded and gestured to BB-8 who carefully lined up the syringe to Rey’s spine.

“Don’t worry, I’m right here with you,” Ben said trying to be encouraging as Rey braced herself. “You can do this.”

“Are you ready Rey?” Finn asked.

“Yes, Finn. Go ahead.” Rey nodded, keeping her eyes locked on Ben.

BB-8 then carefully injected the needle right into the base of Rey’s spine. 

Rey closed her eyes and gritted her teeth but kept as still as possible while Ben kept a tight grip on her hand, pressing his forehead against hers to keep her calm.

“There we go,” Finn said as BB-8 removed the needle. He quickly covered the spot with gauze and placed an adhesive strip over it, pressing it tenderly against her back before pulling her shirt back down. “Okay. It should start working within the next couple of minutes. You’re gonna feel a numbing sensation below your waist followed by some fatigue. I suggest you take a nap while the Bacta does its thing. Let us know if anything feels off.”

“Okay.” Rey nodded, letting out a slow breath. “Thank you, Finn.”

“Anytime Rey.” Finn smiled, giving her shoulder a slight squeeze before grabbing the device from BB-8 and putting it back into his bag.

Though Ben winced slightly at the gesture, he still felt more appreciation towards the former stormtrooper than he ever thought was possible.

“Finn?” Ben called out. Finn turned to see the surprisingly appreciative look on Ben’s face. “Thanks.”

Finn paused, then nodded back. “I’m gonna go check on the kids. Be back in a bit.” He then zipped up his bag and gestured to BB-8, who rolled off the bed and followed Finn out of the bedroom.

Once the couple was alone, Rey smirked up at Ben, caressing her finger against his cheek. “Look at you…learning to trust people.”

“Yeah well…don’t get used to it,” Ben said, trying not to look flustered. “He just happened to be very persuasive.”

The smile didn’t leave Rey’s face though as she took Ben’s hand and kissed it. "How's your arm? It looked like it was bleeding before."

"It's fine. Just a small scratch." Ben said as he kissed her hand back, caressing it gently. “More importantly, how are you feeling?”

“Good…calmer actually…” Rey nodded. "Thank you for letting them do this."

"You should thank your friend more," Ben stated. "I can tell he truly does care about you, to be doing all this for us and the kids. I realize how hard this must be for him...given our history..." 

Rey suddenly looked serious. “Listen Ben. Before I pass out from this…there's something I need you to promise me.”

“What is it?” Ben asked, looking concerned.

Rey paused for a moment before answering. “If…if something should happen to me-"

“Rey, I told you, don’t talk like that. You’re going to make it through this-"

“Please let me speak.” She insisted. Ben went quiet as she proceeded. “If something happens to me, I want you to take the children and leave with Finn immediately. Get as far away from this planet as you possibly can. I already talked with Finn and he will hide you all as best he can without the Republic noticing.”

Ben looked taken aback. “What are you talking about? Are you’re referring to that assassin droid? Cause I already know all about it. Finn…told me.”

Ben of course was only partially telling the truth, as he had seen the IG unit while sifting through Finn’s mind. Having caught parts of their conversation, he knew it was on its way to Mos Espa and would be far enough away before they had to deal with it.

“Then you know how important it is for you to escape,” Rey said. “We can’t risk it finding you here-"

“Don’t worry, it won’t. Cause I'm gonna find it first." Ben assured her. "Once I do, we'll come up with a plan for dealing with it, so we don’t have to run.”

Instead of comforting her, it only made Rey worry more. “No Ben, please! You can’t go anywhere near that thing under any circumstance!”

“Rey relax, it’ll be fine,” Ben said squeezing her hand. “Look I know we’ve had bad luck with bounty hunters in the past, but this time will be different. Now that we know it’s hunting us, we can form a plan to defend ourselves against it. Find a way to track it and take it down before it even realizes we're here-"

“No. Not this droid. Not by yourself…” Rey shook her head, her voice strained as she went on. “Ben you need to understand. This type of IG unit is not only advanced both in defense and weaponry, it can also detect and track DNA. Your DNA.”

Ben looked confused so Rey elaborated. “Months ago, I came across a similar IG unit in the canyons and just barely managed to destroy it. The droid had scanned me and detected your DNA…the baby’s DNA…it’s how I found out I was pregnant.”

Understanding and panic reflected on Ben's face. “Then that means-"

“That assassin droid won’t just come after you. It’ll come after the children too.” Rey confirmed. “None of you are safe here.”

Ben’s froze in fear. He was about to panic again but remembered what Finn had said about holding it together for Rey's sake. Although his first instinct was to hunt down and destroy the droid himself so it’d never set foot near his children, Ben realized at this point that running was the more logical option, given Rey’s current condition.

Quickly Ben let out a breath, regaining his composure. “In that case…I’ll make sure Finn gets us on the first transport off this planet. We’ll leave as soon as you recover, which you will.”

Rey seemed surprised by how agreeable Ben was being. "You promise?"

“I promise. I’ll make sure we all escape together, and that I won’t let anything bad happen to them or you...or myself.”

Appreciation and tears appeared on Rey’s face as well as a hint of guilt. “Thanks, Ben...I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about it sooner. I was just...so scared that another assassin droid or bounty hunter might show up and discover us, that I took it upon myself to keep you all hidden away…It’s why I’ve kept you on the farm with the children, and why I insisted on making all the trips into town myself even though I shouldn't have. I thought if I could spot the danger first, then I could throw it off our trail long enough until I was able to figure out how to deal with it.”

“Rey…” Ben said in realization, suddenly feeling guilty for having shouted at her earlier. “You didn’t need to do that. You shouldn't have to carry such a burden on your shoulders alone. I mean yes, I would’ve been worried, but I could’ve helped you figure out a plan sooner. We could’ve figured out something together. Like we always do. Like we’re supposed to do.”

“I know, I know. I realize that now. I just… didn't want you doing something reckless before there was an actual plan. Like hunting down the droid yourself, without me there to back you up.” Rey said, squeezing his hand. “After everything we’ve been through, I don’t want to risk the chance of our baby never knowing her father.”

“But I wouldn’t have-" Ben then paused, realizing the hypocrisy of his words. "No...actually, you’re right. Knowing myself, I probably would’ve done just that without thinking it through. Just like I did earlier with Finn...but I swear, I will never walk out on you like that again. We'll find another place to hide and then we'll-" Ben then blinked as he suddenly registered her earlier words. “Did you say ‘her’?”

Rey paused, realizing what she let slip, before smiling and nodding in confirmation. 

Ben’s worried look was replaced with instant joy, a surprised smile creeping over his face upon hearing the news. “We’re…we’re having a girl? Are you sure? I thought you wanted to wait to find out this time?”

“I did…but she wanted to make herself known and, well…I couldn’t help it,” Rey admitted with a sheepish smile. “I was hoping to keep it a surprise for you at least but, given the circumstances well…surprise?”

Ben chuckled and leaned forward, kissing Rey on the lips as he cupped her face gently. Rey returned the kiss, entwining Ben's fingers within her own. 

As they pulled apart, Rey seemed to wince a little much to Ben's concern. Luckily it didn't last, as Rey was now smiling knowingly at Ben. "I think someone's demanding your attention."

She then moved Ben’s hand down to rest with hers over the curve of her stomach. Immediately they both felt a flutter of hard kicks pressing against their palms. Ben looked down at her bump with both pride and relief, sensing that the baby’s presence had calmed down considerably and even strengthened a bit, given how active she now was. 

Feeling emotional, he gently caressed his thumb fondly over the spot where he felt her movements, before gazing back at his wife in admiration.

“I hope she’s as beautiful as you are,” Ben whispered to Rey. “I can tell she’s already just as strong.”

Rey beamed at his words. “I love you.”

“I know.” He smirked, placing another kiss against her lips and on her forehead. “Now try to get some sleep, my love. I’ll be right here waiting for you both.”

Rey let out a slight yawn, laying her head against the pillow as her eyes fluttered shut. 

Carefully Ben pulled the blanket up, tucking it around Rey comfortably before removing her boots and covering her legs. He then reached behind her head to pull out her bun, allowing her hair to flow freely onto her pillow. Already Ben could feel her body relaxing and the baby starting to settle down as well. It seemed the injection had managed to work on both of them after all. For the time being, anyway.

Regardless, Ben made a silent vow to never leave Rey’s side again and to protect their unborn daughter at all costs. He then made himself comfortable at her bedside, grabbing a chair to sit in while he diligently kept watch over them both.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Rey recovers, Finn spends some bonding time with the twins and learns some unexpected things about the family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy first of June! Sorry for the long wait everyone. Was trying to focus on finishing my other story before I got back to this one, as well as getting over some writer's block. This ended up becoming a monster of a chapter due to all the dialog and exposition I kept adding to it, but given how action packed the next two chapters will be, this was the only real place I could logically put it. Call it an exercise in characterization and arc building for me. Also, once again took some liberties with the lore. Anyways, enjoy the family fluff before the plot comes in to cause angst and drama again.

Chapter 7

Nearly an hour had passed since Finn gave Rey the Bacta injection, by which time both suns had completely set, giving way to nighttime. 

So far, Rey had managed to sleep peacefully, her contractions having stopped entirely. Ben could sense that the baby was no longer in distress, having supposedly fallen asleep when Rey did, much to his relief. Despite that, Ben still remained by Rey’s side, determined to keep watch over both of them until she woke.

In the meantime, Finn and BB-8 began preparations for their departure, returning to the front yard to make repairs on the damaged land speeder. With Ben now on board with hiding the family from the assassin droid, Finn wanted to make sure they’d be ready to go once Rey woke up. Assuming everything went well, he hoped to have the family packed up and in Mos Eisley by sunrise. There he could secure a new ship and take them all off-planet before the IG unit even reached Mos Espa. Finn still wasn’t sure where to hide them exactly, taking a few of the nearby refugee planets into consideration. All he knew was that anywhere had to be better than Tatooine at this point, even if it was on a Republic-run planet.

Then of course there was what to do about the assassin droid itself, including how to prevent it from finding and tracking Ben in the future. He’d have to contact someone in the Republic about that later, wanting to focus on getting the family to safety first.

As his mind drifted to the Republic, Finn started contemplating the excuse he’d have to give his fellow generals and colleagues, explaining his sudden, prolonged absence. He’d need time to relocate the family after all and make sure they were properly settled and hidden. However, lying to the Republic again wasn’t something Finn was particularly looking forward to, given his already shaky attendance record and tendency to get distracted on missions.

It especially bothered him this time since he’d have to relay the same excuse later on to Poe, who he was usually honest with. Given his partner’s tendency to worry over him, combined with the fact that Finn would once again be breaking his promise to leave for another extended amount of time, was tearing Finn up inside more than it usually did. Perhaps it was seeing Ben and Rey together along with their growing family that was making him miss Poe more than ever. It didn't help that he'd been so neglectful in their relationship up to this point either. He just hoped that Poe would forgive him in time for leaving again and allow him to fix things once he returned…if the former pilot had any patience left in him to do so.

As Finn continued his work on the speeder, Anni and Fin started practicing their Jedi training on their own to pass the time. With Ben staying by Rey’s side, Finn took it upon himself to keep an eye on the kids after letting them know that Rey would recover after her nap. The twins continued standing watch outside the hut, using their powers to move rocks to the fire pit once it got dark so Finn could work properly on the speeder. Both kids had taken a shine to Finn and seemed to trust him now, which made him glad but also feel a little guilty, as he hadn’t told them about the plan to leave the farm and ultimately Tatooine forever. Given it was the only home they'd ever known, he just hoped they would take the news from their parents well and learn to adjust to whatever planet climate they would eventually settle on.

At one point, Anni had asked to borrow BB-8, who eagerly began helping her collect tiny, discarded bits of metal parts that were buried in the sand around the yard. Once they found a good number of bits, Anni put them into BB-8’s storage compartment, took up her wooden saber, and stood a small distance away from the droid.

“Alright BB-8, toss them to me!” She yelled out.

BB-8 whistled and launched a metal piece in her direction. Anni aimed and swung, her saber colliding with the metal bit which sent it flying up into the air.

“Yes!” Anni pumped her fist, bouncing excitedly in place before raising her saber again. “Again BB-8!”

BB-8 launched another bit at a low angle, which Anni managed to block with her saber. She let out an excited cheer as BB-8 launched more metal pieces, which Anni manage to either hit, deflect, or block with surprising accuracy.

Eventually, her enthusiasm caught Finn’s attention, causing him to briefly stop his repairs on the speeder. He watched in amusement as Anni squealed with delight every time she managed to nail a projectile, hitting them further and further away each time. Her victorious smile was infectious and seemed to light up the darkness around her. Just like Rey’s always did.

Finally, Anni hit the last metal piece high into the air until it was out of sight, causing her to let out a loud cheer and dance around in celebration. Finn couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm, watching as Anni eagerly ran around the yard, gathered up the metal bits again to give back to BB-8.

While Anni continued to search around the yard, Finn's sight landed on her brother, who didn’t seem to be having nearly as much fun as she was. Since receiving the news about Rey, Fin had been sitting in the same spot by the front entrance with his eyes closed and his legs crossed. At first glance, it looked as if he were peacefully meditating. However, upon closer inspection, it became more apparent that the boy’s meditation was anything but peaceful. Fin’s legs bounced up and down impatiently, his fingers twitching as he gripped his knees tightly. His face was scrunched up so hard in concentration, it looked as if his head was about to pop off.

Taking a break from repairing the land speeder, Finn walked over to the blonde boy, who had finally snapped out of his forced mediation with a frustrated grunt. Leaning back against the hut with a look of disappointment, Fin gritted his teeth in anger and banged both fists against the wall behind him, pulling his knees up to his chest as he pouted. Finn stopped briefly in his tracks, feeling a little unnerved as the boy's face was screwed up in the same grimace Ben had whenever he'd get angry. Reminding himself that Fin was just a little boy and not an all-powerful dark lord, he swallowed his initial fear and approached him.

“Having trouble there, little guy?” Finn asked, walking up to him.

Fin looked up, the frustration even more evident on his face than before. “I can’t do it! it’s too hard…”

“What mediating?” Finn asked, sitting beside him. “It’s not all that hard…I mean yeah, it is a bit tough to calm the thoughts in your head at first, but once you learn to tune things out and focus-”

“But I can’t!” Fin protested. “I tried but…I can’t do it. I hate sitting quietly. I just wanna run around and play.”

“Well, that’s understandable. You are a kid after all.” Finn pointed out. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“Yes, there is…daddy says I lack focus. That I don’t take anything seriously…it’s probably why my powers aren’t as strong as Anni’s…” Fin said, looking sad.

“Hey now, don’t compare yourself to your sister. Besides, cut yourself a little slack. It’s not easy for any kid to focus. Trust me I know.” Finn said, trying to be reassuring. “When I was training as a soldier, I must’ve gotten disciplined a hundred times for not standing still or paying attention. But I got it eventually and so will you. Just give yourself time, you’ll get this mediation thing down soon enough.”

“That’s what mommy always says.” Fin said, looking down sadly for a moment before pulling his legs closer to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. “I still don’t like it though. It’s so boring and hard to do.”

“If you don’t like it, then why are you trying so hard to meditate?” Finn asked curiously.

Fin paused, looking slightly embarrassed. “I was trying to talk to the ghosts.”

“Ghosts?” Finn asked looking confused.

“The Jedi ghosts.” Fin clarified. “Mommy said whenever she was in really big trouble, the ghosts would help her after she called out to them.”

Finn remembered Rey telling him about such a thing once, how the spirit of a former Jedi could appear when a living Jedi needed them most. He never quite understood it, wondering exactly how a ghost could provide help from beyond the grave, but given what happened with Rey on Exegol, he was inclined to believe anything was possible.

He glanced at Fin, who looked down in shame. “I couldn’t help mommy when she was hurting…I thought if I tried to meditate like she does, I could talk to the ghosts. Then they could help me next time something bad happens…but I can’t do it…” He then rested his chin on his knees. “I’ll never be a great Jedi like her and daddy.”

Finn looked sympathetically at the small blonde boy, thinking for a moment. “You’re right…you won’t be a Jedi like them.”

Fin closed his eyes, letting out a disappointed sigh.

“Cause you’re gonna be even better. I’m betting on that.” Finn finished, smirking at him.

Fin opened his eyes in surprise, glancing back at him. “How do you know that?”

“Look kid, I knew your mom back when she was still learning how to use the force. She hadn’t even discovered her powers until she was already an adult and yet, in only a few short years, she mastered abilities that Jedi hadn’t used for generations. And your dad…well, he was only a little older then you are when he started his training, and look at what he can do now. Point is, you’re still young and already learning all this stuff. Which means if you have even a shred of their talents, by the time you get to the age where they became masters, you’ll already be twice as powerful. So keep at it and don’t give up. I know your mom wouldn’t want you to.”

Fin looked up in wonder, suddenly feeling inspired, and nodded confidently. “Alright. I’ll keep doing it then, even though I hate it. For mommy.”

“That’s the spirit,” Finn said, patting his shoulder. “Live up to that Skywalker legacy.”

“Skywalker?” Fin asked, his face scrunched up in confusion before finally understanding. “Oh, you mean mommy’s old last name. Okay, I get it now.”

“Wait, your mom’s old name?” Finn asked in confusion. “Don’t you mean your dad’s old family name?”

“What? No silly.” Fin giggled. “Daddy’s last name is Naberrie. Just like me and Anni and mommy. Though mommy said she used to be a Skywalker, just like her masters Luke and Leia. Until she married daddy.”

Finn said nothing, feeling utterly confused. Since when did Rey go by Skywalker? Wasn’t she technically a Palpatine? He also remembered Rey mentioning that Ben’s real last name was Solo, like his father Han. And he knew Ben was the one who was descended from the Skywalkers through Leia. So where did Naberrie come from?

“Hey, you said you knew mommy from a long time ago, right?” Fin asked curiously, interrupting Finn’s thoughts. “I know she fought in all sorts of battles with droids and monsters and spaceships. And that she can fight, and heal and use the force but…what else can she do?”

Putting aside his questions, for now, Finn thought for a moment back to all their adventures together, smiling fondly at the memories. “Honestly kid, there was hardly anything your mom couldn’t do. Aside from Jedi stuff, she was very skilled with a staff, a great shot with a blaster, an adept pilot, a highly skilled mechanic and engineer…let’s see, what else…she could also run, jump and climb higher than anyone else I’ve known, was always able to find things easily being the natural scavenger she was…oh there was also the time she used force lightning-”

“Lightning?” Fin asked in surprise. “What’s that?”

“You know, lightning. The electricity you see in the sky during a rainstorm.”

"What's a rainstorm?"

Finn paused when he saw the confusion on the boy's face, realization now dawning on him. "Oh...right. You guys don't get that here on Tatooine. Umm..."

Quickly, he tried thinking of a different explanation the boy could understand.

“Okay, here’s a better description…you know those sparks of light that come out of machines when you turn them on? Electricity? It’s like that only much bigger and much more powerful.”

Finally, Fin seemed to understand but still looked curious. “I think I get it…so, mommy could control electricity like a machine?”

“Well not exactly. Your mom could create and shoot electricity from her hands using the force. Like a generator when it powers up-”

“MOMMY COULD SHOOT LIGHTNING FROM HER HANDS!?” Anni popped up, asking loudly.

“Woah!” Finn nearly jumped out of his skin as the dark-haired girl seemed to appear out of nowhere behind him. “Where’d you come from? How do you know-”

“I was listening nearby,” Anni said bluntly before stepping forward again and leaning close to Finn. “You said mommy could use the force to shoot lightning? When? How?”

“Um…not sure exactly. She did it a long time ago back when we were on another desert planet.” Finn responded uneasily. “She used lightning to blast a ship right out of the sky once. Kinda happened by accident actually-”

“Wow cool!” Fin said in amazement.

“I wanna learn to use lightning too!” Anni said, looking excited. “Maybe when she gets better, mommy can teach it to both of us!”

“Oh uh, kids-”

“That sounds like fun!” Fin said excitedly. “Then we can shoot things out of the sky with it too!”

“Aha, uh actually kids, can you please, PLEASE not tell your mom I mentioned it?” Finn asked hastily. “Like, at all? She’s kinda…not too fond of using that ability.”

“But why not?” Anni asked curiously. “How could she not like using a cool Jedi trick like that?”

Finn hesitated to respond, realizing too late that he was saying way more then he should. It suddenly occurred to him that there was a whole history the kids didn’t know about, regarding both their parents and their family legacies. Something Finn knew he was too ill-suited to explain and even less prepared to talk about.

“It’s just…something she doesn’t use unless absolutely necessary,” Finn said, trying to find a satisfying answer. “I’m sure she’ll explain it to you eventually but for now, mind not saying anything about it? Please? For me?”

Anni looked disappointed. “Alright fine…aw man, I was hoping mommy would finally teach me something cool…she never shows me how to do the really hard stuff. Says its too dangerous.”

“I’m sure your moms got plenty of neat, safe Jedi tricks to teach you. Hopefully, ones that are far less deadly then lightning.” Finn assured her.

Anni thought for a moment before looking at Finn curiously. “What about daddy? Can he do force lightning too?”

“Umm…you know what? I’m not quite sure actually.” Finn said as he thought over all the things he’d seen Ben do over the years using the force. “I mean, he’s as powerful as your mom is, so I’m sure he could. I just never seen him do it.”

“Well, I hope he can. Cause if mommy won’t teach it to me, then I know daddy will.” Anni said confidently. “I’m gonna learn everything he knows so that one day, I can become a great Jedi just like him. Then I can finally get my purple lightsaber!”

“Is that right?” Finn said, feeling a little uncomfortable that such an innocent young girl looked up so highly to a man who was once the most feared dark lord in the galaxy.

“Yep! Me and Fin are both gonna become the best Jedi masters of all time! Right Fin?”

“Uh-huh!” Fin nodded. “But I want a different color for my lightsaber. And I wanna make a double-sided one, like mommy’s staff!”

“That does sound pretty cool,” Finn said smiling in amusement. “Actually wouldn’t mind having a lightsaber of my own one day. Maybe when your mom gets better, she can teach me how to build one. Don’t’ know what color I’d get though…”

Anni turned her head in surprise. “Wait, are you a Jedi too?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, no. I mean, maybe? I can kinda sense things with the force-” Finn admitted.

“Really?” Fin asked, suddenly looking hopeful. “Are you training to be a master like mommy and daddy?”

“What? Oh no, no! I’ve never been trained like you guys have. I’m rather limited in my abilities-”

“So you need a teacher?” Anni asked, suddenly looking excited. “That’s great! I can teach you!”

“Wait, what? No! I mean…what?” Finn asked in confusion.

“Anni, shouldn’t mommy or daddy be the ones to teach him?” Fin asked.

“But I can do it too!” Anni said insistently. “Daddy says I’m halfway to being a Jedi already, which means I’m good enough to teach. Come on, it’ll be fun!”

“Actually, I was kinda hoping your mom would teach me-” Finn tried to protest as Anni grabbed his arm.

“Yeah but she’s not here right now! Come on I’ll show you how!” Anni then pulled Finn to his feet and over towards BB-8, who was gathering metal bits around the yard and whistled curiously at Finn.

Anni then handed Finn her wooden saber and began adjusting his stance so he was holding the saber properly, before going to stand between him and BB-8.

“Okay, lessons begin now!” Anni proclaimed eagerly as she stood tall, trying to mimic the same commanding stance Ben did during their lessons. “Today Doctor Finn, you’re gonna use the force to stop yourself from getting hit in the head with flying metal!”

“Wait, what?” Finn exclaimed.

“This is gonna be funny.” Fin grinned in amusement as he stood up to watch.

“BB-8’s gonna shoot you with metal bits I found in the yard, and you’re gonna use my saber to knock them away,” Anni explained simply.

“Uhhh…I don’t know about this,” Finn said, looking nervously at the saber in his hand. “Couldn’t I just make rocks float or something first-”

“Aw, that’s too easy.” Fin said, appearing beside him as he made him lift his saber higher. “Besides it’s really simple. You just gotta reach out and use the force.”

“And how do I do that exactly?” Finn asked.

“Just close your eyes.” Fin instructed, repeating his lessons. “Reach out and feel it around you.”

Although still reluctant, Finn closed his eyes and stretched one of his hands in front of him. He tried using the same method for when he’d search for Rey, trying to concentrate toward the area around BB-8. Just then, he felt something tingly against his fingertips.

“I…I think I feel it!” Finn said excitedly. “I can feel the force-Hey!”

He then opened his eyes to see Fin, holding a flower toward his outstretched hand, tickling his fingers with the petals. Seeing he got caught, the boy sprinted away laughing and grinning devilishly.

“Fin, don’t be mean,” Anni said while trying to not laugh herself.

“Wiseguy,” Finn called after him before turning to Anni. “Guess that’s not what he meant about feeling the force.”

Anni shook her head. “Nope. But it’s okay. You can try again.”

“I don’t know about this Anni,” Finn said shaking his head doubtfully. “Maybe I’m too old to learn this stuff or not powerful enough. I can’t even make small things move, much less stop them from flying at me.”

Anni thought to herself for a moment, glanced down in the sand, and got an idea. “Let’s do it this way first.”

She then bent down and picked up a tiny metal bolt from the sand. She then held it flat in her outstretched hand towards him. “Make this metal bit move towards you using the force. Feel the energy all around you and use it.”

Finn glanced at her skeptically but figured he had nothing to lose. “Alright, I guess I can try it…”

“Don’t try it.” Fin piped up from beside him. “Do it. That’s what mommy and daddy say.” He then lifted Finn’s arm, positioning it straight ahead before running over to join Anni.

Finn stared at the metal piece in Anni’s hand and took a deep breath. Flexing his fingers in concentration, he focused as hard as he could, trying to will the object forward, imagining the force as an extra limb he could control. He pushed and strained his mind with all his might till finally, the metal moved little by little before sliding off of Anni’s hand and into the sand.

“See? You did it!” Anni said excitedly.

“I did?” Finn asked in disbelief before looking at the metal piece in the sand. “I did it! I moved something!”

“Not bad Doctor Finn. Now do it again.” Anni smiled as she picked it back up.

Finn concentrated again with his hand held out, reaching for the metal piece. Once again it twitched in Anni’s hand until it flew off, landing in the sand even further away from before.

“You’re getting it!” Fin said excitedly. “Keep going!”

Finn practiced a few more times, summoning the metal bolt closer and closer towards him with each attempt. Finally, after nearly ten tries, Finn managed to summon the bolt through the air and catch it within his fist.

“I caught it!” Finn exclaimed. “I actually caught it!”

“Alright! Great job!” Fin cheered.

“You did it, Doctor Finn!” Anni proclaimed excitedly. “Now it’s time for the next lesson: blocking! This time, you gotta stop all the metal bits that BB-8 will throw at you.”

“Alright then…let’s do this,” Finn said, loosening himself up as he got ready to practice more with his powers.

Anni then raced over to the droid and instructed him to start launching projectiles over at Finn. BB-8 beeped out toward Finn in concern, who nodded his head in acknowledgment.

“It’s okay BB-8, I’ll be fine. This is just for practice. Just try not to launch them too hard at me okay?”

BB-8 nodded and rolled forward while Anni and Fin stood back to watch.

“Remember to keep your saber up! Don't get hit in the face!” Fin called out.

Finn held his saber at the ready, closing his eyes briefly to try and sense the force. When he opened them, a metal lug nut was zooming towards his face, causing him to quickly duck out of the way. The kids couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“Don’t close your eyes silly!” Fin laughed to himself.

“Focus Doctor Finn!” Anni called out.

Finn took a deep breath and held the saber up high again. BB-8 launched another metal bit at him. Finn swung but missed. BB-8 launched another one, but Finn missed again. This time BB-8 aimed one lower and Finn managed to block it from hitting his leg.

“That’s it! Again!” Anni cheered.

Encouraged, Finn switched to defense and stopped another piece that came flying at his head. More and more metal bits flew at him, with Finn slowly getting better at deflecting. His connection to the force started to grow stronger as well, telling him how high or low the projectile was flying and which direction it was heading towards.

“Come on Doctor Finn! Hit one to the sky!” Fin called out.

Finally, when BB-8 launched the last piece of metal, Finn had geared up and managed to smack it high up into the air. The twins cheered and raced toward Finn who looked surprisingly pleased with himself.

“I did it! Wow…that felt great!” Finn proclaimed.

“See? I knew you could do it.” Anni nodded smugly.

“Well, I had a really good teacher,” Finn said ruffling her hair. “Thanks, kids. Hopefully, now it’ll be easier once I start training…if your mom decides to train me that is.”

“She will. But you should really train with daddy though, to learn all the really cool Jedi stuff.” Anni pointed out. “Did you know he can lift a whole speeder over his head with one hand? I bet he’d love to teach you how to do it too!”

Finn paused, wincing slightly at that thought of being training by his former boss. “Yeah, I don’t know about that Anni-”

“He doesn’t do cooler stuff.” Fin protested. “All his lessons are just harder than mommy’s cause they use the force more. You just like doing them cause you get to show off your powers.”

“No, I don’t!” Anni retorted. “I just like using the force more! You only like mommy’s lessons better cause she lets you run around and jump a lot.”

“Uh, guys…” Finn said awkwardly.

“Yeah well, you’re always using the force to cheat and jump higher than me, even though I’m much better at it.” Fin pointed out.

“No, I don’t!” Anni protested.

“Do so!” Fin retorted.

“Do not!” 

“Do so!”

“Do not!”

“Do so!”

“Hey, Woah, Woah, settle down kids,” Finn said placing a hand on both their shoulders. “No need to fight. I’m sure both your parents have plenty of good things to teach me if they decide to. Well, your mom would anyways. I’m a little hesitant to learn the more powerful stuff your dad knows…”

“Like what?” Anni asked, suddenly glancing curiously up at Finn. “What powerful stuff? Is it like force lightning? What else can daddy do?”

Finn hesitated to respond, fearing he was saying too much again. Ben would most definitely not appreciate him telling his kids about all the dark Sith abilities he’d witnessed him use over the years. The force choking and mental torture alone were enough to scare him into permanent silence.

Seeing Anni waiting on an answer, Finn thought quickly and came up with the least Sith related ability he could think of.

“Well, there was one thing…one time in battle, a pilot shot at your dad with a blaster and he managed to stop the laser in mid-air before it even hit him,” Finn said. “Then he used the force to redirect it toward another spot.”

“Really?” Fin asked.

“Daddy can do that?” Anni asked getting excited.

“Sure can. Saw it myself.” Finn nodded. “He made it look so easy, but I’m sure it’s way too hard for someone your age to pull off- Hey!”

Anni had immediately rushed over to the land speeder, grabbing fistfuls of lug nuts and machine bits from Finn’s tool kit which she brought over to BB-8.

“What are you doing? I need those!” Finn protested.

“Okay BB-8, let try something new.” Anni poured the metal bits into his compartment and then walked back to her original spot from before. This time, however, she didn’t grab her saber from Finn.

“Anni, what are you doing?” Fin asked, looking nervous.

Stretching up her arms, Anni took a stance as she braced herself. “Alright BB-8…shoot them at me!”

BB-8 paused for a moment in confusion, but then still launched a small metal piece at her.

Finn watched in horror as the bit went flying straight at her head. “No wait-”

Anni thrust out her hands. Suddenly the metal piece started to slow down in midair. Finn watched as it slowed to a crawl before dropping down at Anni’s feet.

“Woah…” Fin said in amazement.

Anni shook her head. “That’s not right. Another one BB-8!”

BB-8 hesitated but then shot another one toward Anni. Like before, it slowed down in midair, long enough for Anni to move it slightly away from her.

“I can do better. Again!”

BB-8 complied and shot more projectiles at her. Both Finns watched in amazement as Anni managed to slow down or deflect every one of the lug nuts before they even got close enough to hit her. Yet she still seemed to be growing frustrated, despite her accomplishments.

“Argh! No, no, no!” Anni cried out stomping her foot. “I wanna stop them, not slow them down!”

“Hey, relax. You’re still doing really well for your first time-” Finn started to say.

“No, I’m not! Daddy could stop them, which means so can I!” Anni said as she walked up to BB-8, who backed away slightly at her sudden closeness. Holding her hands toward the sand, she managed to summon a bunch of metal pieces to her at once and immediately placed them in BB-8’s slot.

“Come on BB-8. Throw a whole bunch of them at me. And do it faster!” She insisted, only backing up half the distance as she braced herself.

BB-8 backed further away, shaking its head and beeping nervously.

“Do it!” Anni insisted. “I need to get better!”

“Anni wait!” Fin pleaded. “You’re practicing too hard again.”

“He’s right, you need to stop and pull back a little,” Finn said firmly as he walked toward her. “You’re gonna hurt yourself-”

“I said, DO IT!” Anni shouted at the droid, slamming her fists down and stomping her foot hard into the sand.

Suddenly a shock wave erupted from her, causing both Finn and her brother to stumble backwards onto the ground. Finn looked up in alarm as Anni’s hair seemed to be floating on its own along with particles of sand and metal. He immediately felt a huge surge in the force emitting from her that filled him with a familiar sense of dread. It was a dark foreboding feeling he’d only felt before from two other sources; one was from Kylo Ren…and the other he felt way back on Exegol.

The shockwave had also sent BB-8 tumbling backward, with the force of the blast causing him to launch every metal piece in his compartment high up into the night sky.

“Incoming!” Fin yelled as he went to duck under a nearby sheet of metal.

Anni snapping out of her anger and looked up in surprise to see the metal bits about to rain down upon her. She went to raise her hands up to stop them, but Finn immediately grabbed her, shielding her with his own body as all the metal came crashing down on them.

“Doctor Finn!” Fin shouted from his hiding spot.

Silence fell, followed by a loud groaning noise. “…Owwwww….”

Anni peaked up from under Finn’s arms, looking at all the metal bits surrounding them. She then noticed the pained look on Finn’s face and moved away to see him hunched over with a few sharp metal pieces sticking out of his jacket. He also had a large, painful-looking lump now forming on the back of his head.

“Doctor Finn!” Anni exclaimed as she grasped his shoulders looking worried. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

“Anni what did you do!?” Fin asked as he slid out of his hiding spot.

Finn dropped onto his knees, hissing in pain as he carefully removed his jacket. Luckily none of the metal pierced into his back, although he was sporting a few nasty cuts, one of which was now freshly bleeding through his shirt.

As Anni looked at his injuries, her gaze holding briefly upon the growing bloodstain on his shirt, tears started welling up in her eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine. Just fine.” Finn said through gritted teeth. “It was an accident. I just need to get to my med kit right now-”

“No, wait. I can help you!” Fin said as he walked over and put his hands on the former stormtrooper’s back and head. “Just give me a sec to make it work.”

“Fin buddy, don’t worry about me, really. I don’t need any-”

Finn then paused as he felt the searing pain on his back and head starting to disappear. He looked up to see the young boy with his eyes closed in concentration, using his force powers to close and heal the cuts on Finn’s back. After a few moments, the boy pulled away to allow Finn to sit up, his back now pain-free. He felt for the lump on the back of his head, which was also now gone.

“Huh. Well, what do you know? Guess it runs in the family.” Finn smiled as he sat up, stretching his back out slightly. “Look at that. Good as new. And you said you had trouble focusing.”

Fin smiled at him before suddenly looking sick and coughing up some bile onto the sand.

“Woah, easy there. You okay?” Finn asked placing a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m alright…just a little woozy.” Fin said, wiping his mouth before staring at his pale-looking hand. “And I think my hand fell asleep.”

“Yikes,” Finn said, staring at the boy's ghostly pale hand. “Alright, hang tight then. I’m gonna head inside for a bit and see if I got something in the medkit for ya. I’ll be right back. Stay put you two.” Finn said as he took his jacket and started heading for the hut.

Anni immediately stood up. “Please don’t tell daddy!”

Finn looked back at the girl and her frightened expression. “I won’t. Just…no more training for now. Watch your brother till I get back okay?”

Anni nodded, still looking upset as she struggled not to cry. Wanting to comfort her, Finn walked toward Anni and patted her shoulder. “Don’t be upset. I’m not mad alright? I know you just got a little excited. Just try not to overdo it next time…baby steps okay?”

A small smile appeared on Anni’s face as she nodded again. With that, Finn heading into the hut, leaving the twins alone in the front yard. BB-8 rolled up to them, beeping inquisitively.

Anni’s frowned once more, patting his head. “Sorry, BB-8...why don't you help me clean up?"

BB-8 whistled in reply and began helping Anni gather up all the fallen metal pieces. Once they were done putting them all in one pile, both sat in silence next to Fin, who looked less sick but was still slightly pale.

"I need to get better…” Anni muttered to herself.

“You’re already better Anni.” Fin said as he poked at his still numb hand. “Even daddy says so.”

"Yeah but I wanna be stronger," Anni said wistfully. “Then maybe mommy will finally take us into town with her, and we can see the rest of the planet too. You know, go on adventures. Like she and daddy did.”

“That would be pretty neat,” Fin admitted before shaking his head. “But we can’t. Mommy says it’s too dangerous to travel. Said we’re still too little-”

“Yeah but daddy thinks we can do it if we learn to fight better.” Anni retorted. “If we were stronger, we could go anywhere we wanted! Wouldn’t that be great?”

Fin was about to respond when BB-8 suddenly started whistling and beeping loudly in alarm.

"What is it BB-8?" Anni asked curiously as the droid rolled away and seemed to be gesturing away toward the distance.

Fin looked confused, and then suddenly concerned as he held a hand up to his large ears. "What's that noise?"

Anni stayed silent and listened. Hearing an unfamiliar grinding sound, she stood up and looked toward the sand dunes in the distance where BB-8 was gesturing. Fin looked there as well, with the little orange and white droid by his side now readying its taser.

Even though it was dark, they could just barely make out a set of glowing red eyes in the distance, which were now approaching the farm at a slow yet deliberate pace.

* * *

Finn walked back into the hut, holding his jacket as he entered Rey and Ben’s bedroom. They were exactly where he’d left them nearly an hour ago, with Rey still sleeping and Ben sitting watchfully by her side.

Ben looked up as Finn entered, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion as he noticed Finn’s jacket. “What happened to you?”

“Oh uh, had a little accident is all. Was trying to see if I could do some Jedi tricks and well…things got a bit crazy.” Finn said as he reached into his bag and took out a pair of tweezers which he used to extract the metal bits still stuck in his jacket.

"Let me guess...Anni right?" Ben asked with a knowing look.

“Well…” Finn hesitated to answer.

“It’s alright. Not the first time something like this happened.” He said, smirking a little in amusement. “My apologies on her behalf. She can be a little…'over-eager’ when it comes to her training.”

“Yeah, I’ll say,” Finn said, shaking out his jacket before holding it up to inspect the scratches and tears. “All I did was mention how you once stopped a laser in mid-air, and she immediately went to try it herself with junk she found in the yard. Almost managed to do it too, till I got in the way.”

Ben’s smirk vanished, replaced with concern. Sensing his anxiety, Finn hastily added. “She’s alright though, they’re both alright. My jacket was the only casualty, as you can see-”

“You told her about my abilities? Which ones?”

Finn could detect the fear in his voice and proceeded with caution. “Just the laser one. Nothing else, I swear. Didn’t think it was appropriate to tell your kids how you used to force choke people that annoyed you…something tells me you wouldn’t have appreciated that.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Ben said firmly. “And neither would Rey for that matter. They don’t need to know about any of that just yet. Especially my Sith abilities.”

“Yeah, I know, I get it. Lips are sealed.” Finn nodded as he took out a needle and thread from the medkit and started sewing up the holes in his jacket. As he did so, he watched as Ben gazed silently upon at Rey, pulling the blanket a little further over her shoulders to tuck her in before stroking her hair back with his fingers.

Thinking back to his conversation with the twins, Finn couldn’t help but voice the thoughts in his head. “Just out of curiosity…and you don’t have to answer this, of course. It's just a random thought I had but…have you ever used force lightning before?”

Ben looked up at Finn for a moment, almost suspiciously.

Finn immediately threw his hands up. “Hey like I said, you don’t have to answer. Just forget I even asked-”

“Once,” Ben answered, much to Finn’s surprise. He hesitated a moment before finally speaking. “Just once. Long ago when I first began my training with the Knights of Ren…it’s not something I like to use or think about though...and another thing the kids don’t need repeated to them.”

“No right, of course not.” Finn agreed, before asking curiously. “But…you will tell them everything eventually, right? I mean, not to point out the obvious or anything but, they got Sith Lords on both sides of the family. Isn’t that something they should be made aware of since they’re training to be Jedi?”

Ben took a deep breath. “It is. And it’s something I will tell them one day when they’re old enough to understand. I’m not going to make the same mistake my parents did by keeping the truth of their heritage from them.” Ben glanced down at Rey, placing a hand on her baby bump to caress it. “I just don’t think now is the right time.”

“Right...” Finn arched a skeptical brow before shrugging nonchalantly. “Yeah, I supposed that’s a good idea, waiting till they’re older to know the truth. After all, wouldn’t want the kids growing up confused over who they really are now, would we? Not like you of course…right, Ben Naberrie?”

Ben looked up sharply at Finn, who continued to throw him inquiring looks. “What, you thought I wasn't gonna find out? Anni Naberrie, Fin Naberrie…Rey Skywalker? And here I thought y’all went by Solo. Or is there another fake name I should know about?”

Ben pressed his lips together tightly before breathing out his nose, shaking his head slightly. “Of course the kids would tell you…not that we were actively trying to hide it.”

“Yeah, not exactly good at keeping secrets, are they?” Finn pointed out. “Guessing that’s why you’re hiding their real family name from them? Or is it something else?”

Ben paused for a few moments before explaining. “I’m not…hiding it per se. And Naberrie is not a fake name if that’s what you’re assuming…it was my grandmother’s original maiden name before she went into politics. It’s the name I gave to the priest when Rey and I were married on Naboo. Outside of the planet’s historians, no one’s even heard of Padme Amidala’s true family name, as they were nothing more than simple commoners. Seemed like the perfect name to go into hiding with at the time.”

“And Rey Skywalker…?” Finn asked skeptically.

“Was her idea,” Ben explained. “Rey didn’t want the Palpatine name or any other made-up name of her own…she just wanted to share mine. But since Solo was off the table, she went with Skywalker instead.”

“Isn’t that a little obvious and even more attention-drawing though?” Finn asked in confusion.

“That’s what I said. But I relented since she chose it as her maiden name, so it was less likely to come up in conversation. Besides, you know how stubborn Rey is. She wanted to uphold my family legacy, even while going by the Naberrie name.”

Finn thought over his explanation, a little less confused but still with more questions.

“Okay…so, I kinda get it…but still kinda don’t? I mean, I get why you’d go by a different name around other people, but why not tell your kids what their true family name is from the start? They at least know y’all are in hiding from the Republic right? You can’t keep that sort of thing from them or expect them to stay in hiding forever. Wouldn’t it better for them to know now what lead up to it? All that stuff that happened between you and Rey, both your family histories and such. Just seems like something important they should learn about and understand sooner rather than later-”

“No. Not right now.” Ben said firmly. “I…I don’t want that type of legacy weighing down on them while they’re still young, influencing who they’ll eventually become. Living with those expectations, that pressure…it’s too much. They should be able to choose their own destinies. To decide for themselves what they want instead of being influenced by a family name. I won’t let them endure what I went through growing up.”

Finn watched as Ben anxiously ran a hand back through his hair, sensing the familiar turmoil and pain from when he looked into Ben’s memories, especially during his early years. He knew he was treading dangerous territory, but his concern for Rey and the kids' safeties overrode any fear he had towards Ben.

“But...shouldn’t they know the risks? The challenges that will face them due to their legacies? I mean, if they’re gonna become Jedi, people are gonna notice their abilities eventually and possibly put two and two together. What then?”

Ben let out a sigh. “I’m not sure yet. Honestly, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t have told them anything about the Jedi or their teachings. Growing up with those rules, those restrictions…it was all so suffocating. After enduring all that, turning to the dark side almost felt liberating…even if it only lasted a short while. I wanted to raise them without those limitations, so they’d never feel stifled and could grow and learn at their own pace. Discover their abilities at their leisure and develop their own sense of identity.”

“And you thought that was a good idea with their powers?” Finn asked skeptically.

“At first. But then Rey managed to convince me otherwise, especially after the twins were born.” Ben glanced down at his sleeping wife, caressing her shoulder gently. “They were already so powerful in the force, we could barely contain the power surges from their cries during the first year. It’s part of the reason we chose to stay on Tatooine since there was plenty of space and no noisy neighbors around to notice the outbursts. Rey was relentless throughout that year, always stepping in to calm them down and keeping them from becoming too destructive. She’d keep their focus by telling them stories about us, our adventures together. Even ones about my family. Leaving out the darker bits of course. She wants so badly to teach them the ways of the Jedi, just like my uncle and mother taught her. Wanted us both to teach them together to control their powers. And with the kids so eager to live up to her stories, it just felt like an inevitability. It’s the only reason I agreed, despite being a fallen Jedi myself. I only hope I’m doing a good enough job guiding them on the right path, so they’re not tempted by the dark side like I was.”

“Is that a legitimate worry though?” Finn asked. “I mean, they’re just kids…really powerful kids but still…”

“Yes and no,” Ben confessed. “I don’t worry too much about Fin. He has so much of his mother’s light in him, it’s almost blinding at times. Anni on the other hand…”

Finn thought back to the immense force energy she gave off during their training session, which felt almost too strong and foreboding for a four-year-old to possess. “You can sense darkness in her.”

Ben looked down, almost in shame. “I’ve always sensed it, even when she was a baby. Rey senses it too. It’s the same darkness that was in me…and over time, it seems to have gotten stronger. Even Rey struggles with handling her powers sometimes. I’ve stepped in of course to help reign in her darker impulses, channeling her energies into her training by turning everything into a game or competition. It seems to work well but…I doubt it will be enough in the long run. She’s so eager to get stronger…almost too eager. Ambition like that can easily turn into a lust for power and control if not reigned in properly.”

“I’ve noticed. It’s actually kinda scary just how much she admires and wants to be like you. No offense.” Finn added. "Aren't you scared of what she'll become though if she keeps this up?"

"No. Never," Ben said instantly. "I'd never want her thinking I would ever become afraid of her. Not the way my parents and uncle were afraid of me..."

Ben said nothing for a while. He looked deep in thought, a worrisome look on his face before he finally spoke. “I just... don’t know what I could do to deter her from going the same way. Sometimes I think I might be driving her towards it by encouraging her too much. If I stop her training though, she’ll resent me for it and might seek out another teacher. But if I keep on encouraging her, it could cultivate an interest in the dark side. And if I ignore it…she’ll be unprepared when she succumbs. I want to save her but...she’d have to let me first. Which, if she’s anything like me, might not happen.”

“But how can you be so sure she’ll turn though? Not like she’s a bad kid or has any bad influences around manipulating her like you did.” Finn pointed out. “I mean, yeah, right now you guys live in a rough, desert wasteland in the middle of nowhere, and Anni can be over-zealous and competitive, but otherwise she seems to live a happy life as a happy kid. She has both parents and her brother around for company, and she’s doing what she loves best by training with you to become a Jedi. She’s not lonely like you and Rey were or weighed down by expectations. If anything, she thrives on it. I’d say that’s a major plus against the dark side forces.”

Ben seemed to take this as a compliment, his face softening slightly before he continued. “That is a relief in a way. However, a lust for strength and power is still a corrupting element. It feeds into my worry about a vision I had long ago…one that I misinterpreted back then and fear coming to light now.”

“What vision?” Finn asked.

“When Rey and I first…started to bond…the first time we touched hands, I had a vision of myself ruling the galaxy through the dark side, with Rey alongside me.”

Finn realized the vision sounded familiar and thought back to what Rey had told him long ago, about herself on the dark throne with Kylo Ren by her side, ruling together as the new Emperor and Empress.

“After I turned back to the light, I chalked it up to being one of the visions Palpatine had manufactured to manipulate me. A manifestation of my own desire at the time.” Ben explained. “However, shortly after the twins were born, I had the vision again. It was almost the same except…it was just Rey sitting on the dark throne alone.”

“But that’s not possible.” Finn shook his head. “Rey never gave in to the dark side.”

“I know. Which is how I realized that the woman I saw, in both versions of my vision… wasn’t Rey.”

Finn froze as realization dawned on him and suddenly Ben’s fears for his daughter became way too real.

“Doctor Finn! Daddy!”

Both men looked up to see Fin rushing into the bedroom, looking terrified.

“What is it?” Ben asked.

“There’s a droid outside. A really big one!” Fin said hurriedly. “It has blasters, and a scary voice, and glowing red eyes. Anni and BB-8 are out there right now trying to stop it from coming near the farm!”

Finn and Ben shared a look of panic before Finn raced out of the bedroom while Ben lingered behind. He glanced down at Rey, who was still sleeping, and back at Fin who looked scared. Ben quickly knelt before his son, gripping his shoulders tightly.

“Son, listen to me. I need you to stay here and look after your mom. Do NOT leave her side for any reason. Understand me?”

“But daddy-” Fin started to say.

“Stay by her side Fin!” Ben said firmly. “Do not let her wake up alone.”

“But daddy I want to help Anni-”

“Absolutely not!” Ben said harshly, causing the boy to recoil slightly. “Do NOT go outside and do not follow me. If something goes wrong, I need you to wake your mother and run. As far away as you both can go. Do whatever it takes to save yourselves. Keep her safe for me Fin, please!”

Fin looked scared, having never seen his dad act so sternly or frightened before. Ben wanted to comfort his son, but he was too close to freaking out himself to even think properly. Instead, he placed a kiss against the boy’s forehead and stood up before Fin could protest. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay with her!”

Without another word, Ben turned and raced out of the room, leaving Fin alone with Rey.

Ben immediately saw Finn hovering near the stairs on the entrance staring outside.

“Is that the assassin droid? Is it here?” Ben asked urgently.

Finn turned toward Ben looking terrified. “It is…and it has Anni.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IG-66 has captured Anni, leaving Finn to figure out how to rescue her before Ben acts first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings everyone! It's my birthday! :D I've been trying to pick a deadline for when to finally update this and today seemed as good a day as any. Nothing like having a project due on your bday, am I right college students? 
> 
> My bad for taking so long. Fight scenes have never been my forte and this particular fighting sequence turned out reaaaally fricken long, mostly cause I kept on adding to it with bits I thought would be cool. Had to break it into 3 parts just to keep the flow consistent, so strap in cause here's part 1. Also I've upped the chapter count as well. Will try to be quicker with updating part 2 and 3 but no promises.
> 
> Also warning for mentions of blood and minor violence against a child

Chapter 8

After a long trek through the desert, the DNA signatures IG-66 had been following finally led it toward an old moisture farm that lay a short distance beyond the canyon walls. The residence was just barely visible against the looming night sky, half-hidden behind sand dunes, and was surrounded by piles of scrap metal and old broken spaceship parts.

As the assassin droid approached, it spotted two small humans and a BB unit sitting near the main hut, illuminated only by the large fire pit in the front yard. The tiny droid alerted the humans to IG's presence, causing one of them to run into the hut. The other small human grabbed a wooden sword and stood her ground with the BB unit as IG-66 approached them.

"Stop!" The girl shouted at the droid as it slowed before her. "Stay where you are!"

 **"Stand aside,"** IG-66 commanded **. "I must inspect this residence."**

The BB unit rolled up to the assassin droid, beeping excessively and threatening it with a taser.

**"That information is classified. Do not attempt interference."**

When the BB unit beeped at it again, IG-66 reared back its leg and kicked the ball-shaped droid high into the air. BB-8 screeched as he flew clear across the yard, bouncing off the dunes and spinning far off into the distance.

"BB-8!" The girl exclaimed in shock.

IG-66 continued to move towards the hut, only for the girl to stand in its way again with her sword raised. "I said stop! You can't go in there. My mommy's still sleeping! You leave right now, or I'm gonna-"

***ZAPP***

The girl screamed out in pain, dropping her sword as she fell to her knees.

IG-66, having whipped out a small blaster, stood over the crying girl as she held her face. A small trickle of blood leaked from under her fingers and slid down her cheek from where the laser blast had grazed her.

**"That was a warning shot. Should you attempt to interfere again, you will be-"**

The girl immediately stood up and thrusts her hands forward, letting off an intense shock-wave. IG-66 stumbled backward, nearly losing its footing on the sand. It looked up at the girl, who was angrily gritting her teeth and glaring at the droid, her dark hair now floating up around her.

Just then a beeping noise went off in the assassin droid's sensors. Taken by surprise, IG-66 re-scanned the area until it noticed the DNA signature it was tracking now led towards the girl. Scanning her properly, the alarm went off again.

**"Target DNA detected. Analyzing…partial match found. Subject confirmed to be a 50% match with the fugitive Kylo Ren. Performing situational assessment…"**

Before the assassin droid could reach a conclusion, the girl ran forward and shoved both hands at the droid again. IG-66 was pushed back but did not lose its footing this time, skidding across the sand as gravity connectors activated on its legs to weigh it down. It then watched as the girl held out her hand and summoned her wooden sword back. She held it high with both hands and raced toward the droid, yelling loudly as she went to attack it.

Before she could strike, IG-66 stuck out its hand and seized her by both wrists.

"Hey! Let go of me!" She yelled out, squirming in its grip.

IG-66 could see the girl attempting to use her powers again and tightened its hold on her wrists, causing her to cry out in pain as she dropped her sword. IG lifted her up until they were both eye-level, watching as the girl growled and screamed, attempting to kick at the droid with her free legs.

"Just wait till my daddy gets here! He's gonna chop you into pieces!" She shouted, continuing to kick her legs about, even though she was nowhere close to reaching the droid.

 **"Subject with partial DNA appears to exhibit Jedi-like abilities and is openly hostile,"** IG-66 said it scanned over her once more, this time setting off another alarm in its sensors. **"Match found. Subject also shares 50% DNA with unknown subject that terminated predecessor. Adding to situational assessment and re-analyzing course of action…"**

* * *

Back in the nearby hut, Finn and Ben emerged on the top step of the front entrance. Spotting the droid, they quickly ducked back down and kept low to the stairs. They watched fearfully as the IG unit held Anni within its grasp, standing in place as it contemplated its next move.

"Let. Me. Go!" Anni yelled out, struggling against the droid's grip. "Daddy! Daddy-OW! Stop it! AHHHH!"

Seeing Anni cry out in pain as the droid tightened its grip on her, Ben angrily gritted his teeth and grabbed the lightsaber from his belt. He moved to rush forward when Finn grabbed his shoulder, forcing him back down.

"Hey, whoa, stop! Are you crazy!? You can't just run out there like that, it will kill you! And her!" Finn exclaimed in a harsh whisper.

"That thing is hurting my daughter! It's going to kill her regardless if I don't do something!" Ben protested as he went to rush out again, only for Finn to pull him back again.

"Will you listen to me for a moment!? You can't just outright attack an assassin droid like that!" Finn insisted as he struggled to hold Ben back. "I've seen the number of blasters hidden on that thing. If you destroy one, it'll whip out another and shoot you a hundred times over before you get close enough. And even if you do manage to get some damage in, its self-destruct mechanism will activate!"

Ben finally stopped struggling upon hearing that last part. "Self-destruct?"

"It's an IG unit remember?" Finn pointed out. "The second that thing thinks it's going to be defeated or captured, it will self-destruct, and the strength and radius of that blast will be enough to take out the whole front yard. Possibly this farmhouse too!"

Ben paused, considering the dilemma. He then jolted when he heard Anni screaming.

"AHH!!! Daddy! Daddy, help me!!"

Ben watched helplessly as his daughter flailed about, crying out for him. He looked down and closed his eyes tight as he clenched his jaw. The pain was evident on his face as Ben wrestled with his self-control, just barely winning out as he looked wearily at Finn.

"What would you have me do then? I can't just leave her out there like that!"

Finn thought to himself for a moment, before standing up. "Let me handle this. She's not its primary target, so maybe I can talk it into handing her over to me instead. I remember Poe saying something about Republic jurisdiction some time ago and how all Republic servants must abide by it. And I'm a Republic General, so it has to listen to me to some degree."

"You really think that'll work?" Ben asked skeptically.

"I have to make it work. I mean what other options do we have? Besides ones that end with that droid using us all as target practice?" Finn asked, only half believing the plan himself. "At the very least, I can stall it long enough for you to make your escape."

Ben blinked in surprise. "Escape? You expect me to just run at a time like-"

"Look Ben, even if I manage to talk it into freeing her, that thing will still come around here searching for you." Finn pointed out. "If it tracked you all the way across a desert planet, it'll definitely be able to track you inside this hut."

"I'm not abandoning my family again!" Ben protested. "Besides even if I leave, that droid will just target them for being related to me. And Rey still isn't awake yet, nor in any condition to fight it!"

"We won't have to worry about fighting it _IF_ I can convince it to leave the farm first," Finn stated. "If I tell it I saw you running off towards the desert or canyons or literally anywhere else, it'll leave this place behind to pursue you. But you cannot be here when that happens."

"And where do you expect me to go exactly?" Ben asked, still skeptical of the plan.

"We'll meet up at a rendezvous point. Somewhere in the canyons. Once the droid's gone, I can wake Rey and take her and the kids back into town on the speeder. We'll pick you up on the way there and escape off-planet together as planned, before that thing even realizes you're gone."

Ben looked conflicted, not wanting to paint a target on his family's back, but also not wanting to abandon them to the mercy of the droid.

"Daddy help!"

After hearing another scream from Anni, Ben flinched and finally relented.

"Alright fine, I'll go! But Finn I swear, if you let her or any of them get hurt-" Ben threatened.

"I won't, alright? Now keep your voice down, before it notices you!" Finn whispered harshly before standing up to face the droid.

* * *

Outside, IG-66 had finished its assessment.

**"Analysis complete. Conclusion: Subject appears to be a direct descendant of the fugitive Kylo Ren and the unknown subject, both of which possess Jedi abilities and are active threats to the Republic. Due to having similar abilities and temperament of the target, subject should be considered a threat and as such, must be eliminated to deter future retaliation against the Republic."**

Although Anni didn't understand most of what the droid was saying, she at least knew what being eliminated meant and watched in horror as the IG unit raised a blaster to her face.

**"On behalf of the New Galactic Republic, I hereby charge you with conspiracy in aiding a wanted fugitive as well as assaulting a Republic servant, and thus, sentence you to execution."**

"HELP!" Anni screamed out in terror as the blaster powered up.

"STOP!"

The IG united lowered its blaster and turned to see Finn racing out of the hut with his hands up. "Stand down! Let the girl go right now!"

IG-66 scanned Finn over. **"General Finn. You appear to have escaped from the target unharmed."**

"Uh yeah. I did. I'm fine now. So, will you please let her go already? She's not the target you're searching for!" Finn begged.

**"Negative. Subject is a direct blood relation of the target and may become a threat against the Republic at a future time. Elimination is required to prevent such retaliation."**

"She's just a child! She's a threat to no one!" Finn insisted.

**"Negative. Subject exhibits Jedi abilities and is of a combative and violent temperament. As a servant of the New Republic, I must take action so that said aggression may be contained and stopped before subject becomes too unmanageable."**

"Doctor Finn…" Anni sobbed, tears forming in her eyes.

"It's okay Anni, it's okay. I got this. You'll be fine." Finn said, trying to be calm as he gave her a reassuring smile. He then looked back at the assassin droid, taking a deep breath as he quickly went over the practiced speech in his head, and took a cautious stepped forward.

"Alright look. I'm not here to tell you how to do your job and I don't wish to interfere in your mission or any Republic policies when it comes to apprehending criminals. However…this unauthorized termination of a first-time offender without direct orders from a sitting council cannot stand! And as a high ranking General of the New Republic, I exercise my right to negotiate and to act as an authoritative figure on enforcing civilian rights to a fair trial. As a servant of the Republic, you need to cater to my authority on matters such as these, especially when they're outside Republic jurisdiction with no other source of authority available!"

IG-66 stood silently for a moment, processing everything Finn had said.

Finn swallowed nervously, wondering and hoping the droid had bought everything he just said. Despite having only half paying attention at the time, Finn had never been more grateful to have sat through one of Poe's procedural lectures. Poe claimed it was essential for them to know about enforcing Republic law, especially when settling colonies in the outer territories. He just hoped it was enough to convince the droid to at least hear him out.

After a tense couple of moments, the assassin droid finally responded.

**"While it is in my programming to only obey orders from my programmers, I am also bound by their protocols to uphold Republic law and must acknowledge the procedures put in place for addressing outside offenders. You may briefly negotiate your terms General, so I may use it to analyze the best course of action for dealing with the subject."**

"Alright, now we're getting somewhere." Finn nodded in relief. "So then…let's make a deal."

* * *

Out in the yard, half-hidden behind a junk pile, Ben watched as Finn talked down the assassin droid.

While he initially planned to run like Finn told him to, Ben couldn't bring himself to leave the farm until he knew for certain Anni would be safe. However, watching his daughter dangle helplessly by her arms in midair was pushing Ben's restraint, causing him to grip his lightsaber tightly as he tried silencing his impulse to attack the IG unit and free her. He held back, wanting desperately to give Finn a chance to resolve things peacefully, but seeing Anni look so terrified and on the verge of tears was setting off every paternal instinct Ben possessed. Only the threat of the droid self-detonating stopped him, as Anni and Finn were still in its direct path. Not to mention the blast of the explosion would also damage the farmhouse, endangering Rey, Fin, and the baby while they were still inside.

As he watched Finn start his negotiations, Ben grew increasingly impatient. Every time he saw Anni wince from the droid's painfully hard grip, his anger surged to near dangerous levels. He was about two seconds away from throwing caution to the wind and attacking outright, when he heard a high-pitched beeping noise behind him.

Turning around, Ben spotted BB-8 as he emerged from over a dune and rolled downward. The small droid stopped near Ben, shaking sand off itself and expelling even more from its compartments. It then letting off a series of questioning beeps at Ben, who glared at it in annoyance.

"What do mean, what I am I doing here? What were you doing out there?" Ben whispered harshly at BB-8,

The BB unit let out a bunch of indignant beeps as Ben glared down at him. "Yeah well, great job watching my kids. Now look what's happened."

BB-8 glanced over at the scene unfolding between Finn and the IG unit, before letting off a series of alarming beeps. It then whistled irratantly at Ben, who narrowed his eyes angrily at the little droid. "Don't you think I want to?? I'd attack that thing in a heartbeat if I could, but I can't risk Anni's safety!"

BB-8 whistled quickly, causing Ben close his eyes in agitation. "No, I can't just use my powers to destroy it. That thing is wired to blow if it becomes too damaged. It'll take out everything around it if that happens, including them!"

BB-8 paused for a moment, before whistling and beeping at Ben, who looked at it in surprise. "You have a plan? But how-"

BB-8 beeped faster, explaining its plan as quickly as it could until Ben's face showed understanding. "I see…alright. We'll try it your way then. Just please…make sure she gets away safely."

BB-8 beeped a few times, extending its robotic arm and lighting up a flame in a thumbs-up motion.

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn laid out his negotiations before the assassin droid.

"Here's what’s gonna happen. You hand the girl over to me, and I'll take her to the nearest Republic outpost to await trial. I'll send for a council of my peers, who will sentence her accordingly within the confines of Republic law. That way, she'll be punished appropriately, you'll still receive credit for capturing her, and you’ll be free up to hunt down Kylo Ren before he escapes. I'm sure your programmers would be terribly upset if they found out you wasted time on apprehending someone who isn't even on your list of targets."

The IG unit paused as it considered Finn's logic. **"It is true. The subject is not an official target as designated by my programmers, even if they do share genetic data with the fugitive. As such, their fate would be better left to the judgment of a Republic council while I continue my prioritized mission to search for and eliminate Kylo Ren."**

"Exactly! Glad we could reach an agreement." Finn nodded. "So, let's not waste any more time then. Just put the girl down and I'll grab my-"

 **"However,"** The droid continued **. "This blood relation may be of use in luring out the fugitive if they are indeed hiding within this residence. Before I can turn the subject over, they will be used to fulfill my mission. Perhaps using a more urgent incentive will speed the process along."**

The IG unit raised its blaster once more towards Anni, who let out a terrified scream.

"NO! STOP IT!" Finn shouted stepping forward. "You don't need her to do that!"

**"Why not? It is the most logical course of action. Once the target sees their blood relation in peril, they will make themselves known. So long as the subject coorperates, they will only be partially harmed."**

"She doesn't need to be harmed at all. It's unnecessary!" Finn stated.

**"Explain your reasoning."**

"Because…Kylo Ren has already fled from here!" Finn nodded quickly. "Yeah! A-after I fought him off, he ran out into the desert toward the badlands. If you leave here now, I'm sure you can catch up with him in no time. Just leave the girl behind for me to deal with. She'll only slow you down."

 **"If the target has indeed fled, why do I still detect bio-signatures from within this residence?"** IG-66 asked, its sensors now focusing on the hut itself. **"The DNA trail I've been tracking leads into the front entrance. My scanners also show two heat signatures, possibly three, from within. Any of those inhabitants could be the fugitive-"**

"Well, they’re not, alright!?" Finn shouted. "None of them are him. They're just an innocent family that helped me out, so leave them be!"

 **"Then I must investigate before I am to continue my search, to confirm the validity of your statement. I shall use the subject as leverage in case the inhabitants become hostile. They will be released to your custody once their purpose is fullfulled in apprehending the target."** IG-66 stated before moving towards the hut.

It clenched its hand around Anni's wrist, causing her to cry out as it swung her through the air.

Finn didn't let the droid get far though, as he quickly stood between it and the hut, raising a blaster he drew from his belt.

"Stay away from this home and release her. Now." Finn said sternly.

IG-66 looked at Finn and then at the blaster which was aimed at its head. **"You are acting irrationally and suspicious. Allow me to investigate this dwelling or I will be forced to-"**

Finn powered up his blaster. "I can't let you do that. Let the girl go and step away from the hut…NOW!"

The assassin droid paused before aiming its weapon at Finn, who took a small step back while still pointing his blaster.

**"You are interfering with my mission and aiding in the escape of a wanted fugitive, an act punishable by execution. Should you refuse to relent, I will be forced to charge you with treason and eliminate you on behalf of the New Republic."**

"Yeah well…wouldn't be the first time that's happened." Finn shrugged as he held firm. "So you can forget it then. I'm not backing down until she is freed."

 **"You would continue your act of defiance, even while risking the subjects' lives?"** IG-66 said, holding up Anni and pointing its blaster at her once more, causing her to scream. Finn looked as scared as Anni did, the two now at a stalemate.

**"Surrender your weapon and allow me passage, or I will consider everyone here an accomplice and eliminate you both, along with whoever resides within this residence. You have until the count of ten to comply. Ten…nine…eight…seven-"**

As Finn began to panic, he caught a glimpse of a light shining at him through the darkness. Squinting, Finn spotted BB-8 who was half-hidden behind a junk pile. It made a few gestures with its arm, which held a taser. Understanding what it was getting at, Finn immediately raised his hands in surrender.

**"Four…three…two-"**

"Alright, alright, stop! I'm complying! Look, I'm dropping my weapon." Finn said, letting his blaster fall to the ground.

IG-66 stopped counting and lowered its blaster. **"A logical response. You will now escort me through this residence and assist with the search and capture of the fugitive-"**

Just then, BB-8 came charging from behind a junk pile, its taser at the ready, as it rolled headfirst against the assassin droid, zapping it firmly in the leg. The IG unit shook as electricity surged through its body, forcing it to release its hold on Anni.

Anni screamed as she fell but thankfully Finn was there to catch her and immediately raced away. The droid regained its senses and went to give chase, only to be zapped by BB-8 again. Changing targets, IG-66 began shooting at BB-8, which rolled away towards a nearby junk pile, leading the assassin droid toward Finn's land speeder.

IG-66 searched around, activating its scanners until it found the droid seemingly hiding behind a small pile of junk.

 **"You will be eliminated for your interference,"** IG-66 stated, aiming its blaster at BB-8.

Just then, a large broken wall of a ship floated up from the ground behind the assassin droid, casting a large shadow. By the time the IG unit noticed and turned around, the wall slammed hard into the droid from behind, smashing it into a nearby junk pile and immobilizing it.

BB-8 rolled out from behind the junk pile and over to Ben, who had stepped out from behind the nearby speeder, glaring hatefully towards the assassin droid. "That's for putting your filthy hands on my daughter!"

"Daddy!"

Ben turned to see Finn setting down Anni, who immediately raced over to him. Relief filled Ben's face as he quickly kneeled and wrapped his arms around Anni, the two tightly embracing.

BB-8 rolled over toward Finn, beeping at him incessantly, which resulted in Finn smiling and patting its head. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I owe you big time. Well done little buddy."

Ben kissed the top of Anni's head and looked at her with concern. "Are you alright sweetheart? How badly did that droid hurt you?"

"It scratched my hands and burned my cheek!" Anni pouted, pointing at the deep red marks on her wrists and the nasty burn on her cheek, which was still bleeding slightly.

Ben grimaced at the marks. "Don't worry sweetheart. Daddy will make it pay."

He then stood up as Finn and BB-8 made their way over to them.

"What are you still doing here? I told you to leave!" Finn whispered harshly.

"Yeah well, change of plans." Ben stated, holding his daughter's hand. "Take her inside quickly. Wake up Rey and get her and the twins as far away from here as you can."

"What about you?" Finn asked. "You need to come with us-"

"I need to deal with that thing first." Ben interrupted. They then heard struggling noises coming from underneath the junk pile where the droid was buried. "The only reason it's not attacking right now is because I'm pinning it down with the force. I can't do it forever, but I can distract it long enough while you all escape in the speeder. If I can't defeat it, then I'll at least get it to the point where it self-destructs. You all need to be gone when that happens."

"I'm not leaving you to face that thing alone! Rey would never forgive me if I did! She won't forgive you either!" Finn protested. "Besides, I promised her I'd get everyone to safety, including you!"

"I'll meet up with you after I destroy it. I know she'll be mad, but I will not let that thing harm another person I care about to get to me!" Ben said determinedly, glancing briefly down at Anni before looking pleadingly at Finn. "Please Finn. Let me face the consequences of my actions. I don't want my past mistakes haunting them for the rest of their lives."

Finn swallowed hard, trying to think of a counter-argument. Before he could respond, there was blasting noise and they turned to see the IG unit blasting through parts of the wall to free itself.

"Go. Now!" Ben commanded, picking up Anni and shoving her into Finn's arm.

"Ben wait-"

"GO!!" Ben shouted, shoving Finn away as a particularly large laser blast started cutting through the wreckage.

Left with no choice, Finn bolted towards the hut with Anni struggling in his arms.

BB-8 whistled up at Ben, who looked briefly at the droid in an almost appreciative manner. "Keep them all safe for me...please."

BB-8 beeped in affirmation and took off after Finn.

"Daddy no! Wait!" Anni cried out from over Finn's shoulder.

She then watched helplessly as her father ignited his lightsaber and move toward the pile where the assassin droid was buried.

With one final blast, IG-66 broke free of the metal wall. It stood up with two blasters raised and was about to use its scanner when the droid's limbs suddenly constricted against its sides and its body floated up in the air.

IG-66 turned to see Ben stomping towards it, his right hand outstretched while the other gripped a lightsaber. Its sensors immediately activated as the assassin droid focused on its attacker.

**"Target DNA detected. Match found. Subject confirmed to be Kylo Ren."**

"Well, congrats to you on finding me," Ben said before clenching his fists, causing the assassin droid's arms to constrict further against its body, destroying the blasters and emitting sparks from its limbs. "Now let's see if you can actually defeat me."

**"Activating Counteractive Battle Mode."**

Suddenly the IG unit's armor jutted out from within its torso and limbs, surrounding each of its parts in an extra layer of a thick metal alloy. New blasters appeared out of the droid's arms and hands, along with lasers from its shoulder pads. Ben felt the mass of the droid increase dramatically, causing him to drop his lightsaber and use both hands to increase his hold.

Suddenly its gravity connectors activated, letting out an intense sonic vibration that immediately disoriented Ben, causing him to stumble backward and break his concentration. IG-66 landed back on the ground with a heavy thud but barely had time to react as Ben was back up, again using both hands to hold back the droid. He tried keeping its arms pinned at its side, only for them to light up and let off a different wave of vibration. Slowly it’s arm pulled away from its body, almost like repelling magnets.

As Ben struggled to maintain his hold, blasters emerged from IG's shoulders and shot at Ben, who immediately lifted one hand to stop the blasts from hitting him. He just managed to stop all the shots in midair and redirected them away but couldn't keep his hold on the droid any longer.

Now free from Ben's restraints, the droid raised its arms and began firing all its blasters on him at once. Ben summoned his lightsaber back and used it to deflect the incoming blasts from the IG unit as it stomped toward him, shooting at him relentlessly. It tracked Ben as he quickly maneuvered away, ducking behind a junk pile to catch his breath.

**"Defeat is inevitable. My form has been upgraded and heavily modified from my predecessor to combat Jedi specific abilities. Surrender now, or your execution will be drawn out painfully."**

It was then Ben finally understood what Rey meant by not facing the droid alone. For as strong as he was with the force, the droid was clearly built to counteract his abilities specifically. He contemplated just how deeply its modifications went in that regard, knowing the only way to find out was to face it head-on.

"I have a bad feeling about this…" Ben muttered as held up his lightsaber and charged back out.

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn raced back into the hut with BB-8 close behind, setting down Anni who was now crying.

"We need to go back and help daddy!" Anni pleaded as tears ran down her face. "We-We need to-"

"Anni. Anni, listen to me." Finn said getting her attention. "What we need right now, is to get everyone out of here. You and Fin need to wake up your mom so we can all sneak out the back door. Once we escape on the speeder, I can hide you guys safely in town while your dad distracts that droid."

"No! We can't leave daddy alone!" Anni protested. "It'll hurt him!"

"He won't be alone. Once I finish hiding you guys, I'm gonna go back to help him escape too." Finn confirmed. "But I need to get you three out of danger first. Can you help me do that?"

Anni hesitated, still looked concerned. "You won't let anything bad happen to him, will you?"

"I promise you I won't," Finn assured her. "Now let's hurry. I don't know how long your dad can hold that droid off by himself."

Anni finally nodded and together the two, along with BB-8, entered Ben and Rey's bedroom.

There, Fin sat vigilantly beside a still sleeping Rey. The blonde boy looked up in surprise and immediately stood, his face full of relief. "Anni you're alright! What's going on out there? Is the droid still here? Where's daddy? And what's wrong with your face?"

"Daddy is fighting the droid," Anni said as she raced over to him. "We have to wake up mommy and get out of here quick before it finds us!"

Fin nodded and the two immediately went over to Rey as they began shaking her awake. "Mommy? Mommy, wake up!"

Finn meanwhile started gathering up pieces of his medical supplies, putting them inside a small satchel bag. While he wanted to bring his whole duffle bag, it was too heavy and noticeable to carry out inconspicuously, so he took only the smallest tools and medicines he had. He also looked around briefly for whatever items Rey may need to take with her, grabbing her lightsaber which lay on the nightstand.

The last thing Finn grabbed was the vial of concentrated bacta, which he handed over to BB-8.

"Keep this safe alright? Hopefully, we won't need it." Finn said to BB-8, who beeped in acknowledgment before hiding the vial in its compartment.

"Mommy wake up! Wake up!!" Fin shouted in her ear. "Doctor Finn she won't wake up!"

After grabbing all he could, Finn set his bag down and went over to his sleeping friend. "Rey? Come on Rey, wake up. We need to get out of here."

Rey didn't respond, however, as she continued to sleep peacefully.

"Rey come on! We need to go!" Finn said shaking her more urgently. "Rey!?"

No answer. The kids looked worriedly at Finn.

"What's wrong with mommy?" Fin asked.

"She's not dead is she!?" Anni exclaimed worriedly.

Finn couldn't help the anxious look that crossed his face, quickly trying to conceal it from the kids. "No, no, I'm sure she's okay. She's probably just…very, very tired."

He then subtly checked her wrist for a pulse, growing further worried when he noticed how slow it seemed. Finn then turned to BB-8, whispering quickly. "Check her vitals."

BB-8 beeped in response and hoisted itself onto the bed, using a device on its robot arm to scan her. After a few moments, BB-8 showed the results to Finn. He quickly read them over, noting the low pulse and brain activity, both from her and the baby. Almost like they were in a….

"Coma…" Finn whispered to himself.

The kids watched curiously as Finn quickly started thinking of a plan.

"Hey, kids. So, listen. I don't think your mom's ready to come out of her nap just yet. So I'm gonna carry her to the speeder myself. Will one of you carry my bag for me while I carry her?"

"I'll do it!" Fin volunteered. Finn nodded, handing the boy the satchel, which he pulled over his shoulder.

Finn, meanwhile, knelt down and very carefully lifted Rey off the bed and into his arms. He strained under her weight a bit, having to carry both her and the baby, but still managed to get a good grip on her as he stood back up.

"Don't worry Rey, I gotcha," Finn assured her, looking at her sleeping form. "I'm gonna get you all out of here. Just don't get angry at me later for manhandling you a bit okay?"

Rey's head lulled against his chest, but she remained unresponsive. Finn turned to see the twins looking at him expectedly.

"Alright kids, now listen carefully. I want you all to follow me out the back as quietly as you can. Remember, stay close and don't let that droid spot you, no matter what."

"Got it!" The twins chimed together.

"Okay then. Let's go."

Together, Finn with Rey in his arms, the twins and BB-8 all left out the back door, making their way towards the speeder while hoping Ben could distract the droid long enough for them to escape.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn tries to help Rey and the kids escape while Ben distracts the IG unit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooray, I got this done in a month! Part 2 of the droid battle is in motion, hopefully followed closely by part 3. Just a reminder that I added my own non-canon lore which shows up in this chapter. Also upped chapter count again just in case.
> 
> Oh and quick Happy Halloween to y'all. Stay safe out there!

** Chapter 9  **

Ben swung his lightsaber around aggressively, blocking the incoming lasers fired by IG-66’s twin blasters. After going on the defensive, Ben lured the assassin droid away from the hut so that it could pursue him across the yard. Even though it shot at him relentlessly as he weaved in and out around scrap piles, Ben made sure to always stay within its sight. And given it was night time, that made it easier for him to duck away when needed, even though he was sure the droid had some type of night vision. Either way, he was determined to keep the droid’s attention on him and away from the hut while his family escaped. During that time, he searched for windows of opportunity to attack while gradually leading the droid further out toward the desert, hoping when the time came that the droid would self-destruct away from the farm.

Unfortunately, progress wasn't going so well as IG-66 kept Ben firmly on his toes. Not only was he have a hard time finding its weak points, but Ben was constantly ducking for cover from the endless laser fire, making it near impossible for him to stay out in the open for too long. While he was able to defend himself and deflect the lasers back at the droid, they were ineffective against its thick, upgraded battle armor. Ben had tried deflecting them back at the blasters themselves, even managing to destroy both after much trial and error, only for the droid to immediately replace the blasters with new ones.

Like Finn had said, the IG unit seemed to have an endless number of weapons hidden within every crevice, as well as lightning-fast reflexes to replenish them. Ben had tried using his force powers to restrain and crush it, but the droid seemed to detect whenever he was about to do so and would activate the sonic waves on its gravity connectors. These intense vibrations always resulted in Ben becoming disoriented, throwing him off balance, and leaving him vulnerable to attack.

So, Ben held off. Only attacking from afar and retreating, staying on the defensive, and keeping a decent distance from the hut. During that time, he tried thinking up other ways to disable the droid without setting off its self-destruct protocol. After all, his family was still inside the hut. He needed to give them time to get to the land speeder and escape. Ben just hoped he could last long enough against the droid for them to do so.

* * *

Meanwhile, Finn had emerged from the backdoor of the hut, carrying a still sleeping Rey in his arms. The twins emerged next, followed closely by BB-8. Finn looked around quickly to make sure the coast was clear and began leading his small entourage around the scrap piles toward where the speeder was parked. The twins followed close behind, trying to stay quiet and as close to Finn like he told them to. That is, until they saw Ben fighting nearby, using his lightsaber to deflect lasers back at IG-66.

“Look there’s Daddy!” Anni exclaimed, pointing across the yard.

“Woah, look at him go!” Finn shouted excitedly, watching Ben quickly swing his saber around.

“Kids, shhh! It’ll hear you!” Finn whispered harshly, causing them both to quickly cover their mouths.

Sure enough, Finn spotted Ben fighting with IG-66, not too far off from where the speeder was. Ben then retreated, causing IG-66 to chase him towards their direction.

“Back, back, back!” Finn quickly gestured for the kids and BB-8 to retreat, forcing them to hide behind a large scrap heap. They crammed behind it, Finn doing his best to shield the kids as the droid passed by.

Finn waited, holding his breath until he heard the laser fire move away from them. He peeked out cautiously, watching as Ben led the droid away from their location. Unfortunately, they were both still in the direct path of the land speeder, which prevented Finn from guiding the others across without being seen.

“How do we get across Doctor Finn?” Anni asked, both her and Fin looking concerned. 

Finn paused, thinking to himself for a moment. Quickly he peaked out, scoping out the rest of the yard and spotting some well-stacked scrap piles they could easily hide behind that led toward the speeder.

“Alright kids, it seems we may have to take the long way around,” Finn said, trying to hide his nervousness as he turned to instruct them. “So, here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re gonna sneak from pile to pile as quickly as we can until we get over to the land speeder. Your mom and I will go first, then it’ll be your turn to follow. Okay?”

The twins nodded, still looking a little nervous. BB-8 whistled inquisitively at Finn.

“You stay with them. Make sure they get across safely.” Finn said to the tiny droid, who nodded in acknowledgment.

Finn shifted Rey a little in his arms, keeping a firm hold on her as she continued to sleep.

“Okay kids, watch me while I go first. And then do as I do. On three…”

Finn peeked out, watching and waiting until the IG unit’s back was turned to start counting.

“One…two…three!”

Finn then sprinted across the open space between scrap piles until he reached the other side. Once safely behind the next pile, he took a moment to catch his breath before looking to see that the droid was still distracted. Seeing that it was, he then nodded to the twins and BB-8 to get their attention.

“Ready? On three…one…two…three!”

The twins and BB-8 raced across, thankfully making it safely to the other side.

“Good job guys, really good.” Finn nodded at them. “Now we just need to do that a few more times....”

* * *

It wasn’t until they were past the second scrap heap, that Ben noticed his family was on the move, running between piles as he distracted the IG unit.

At first, he was relieved to see them escaping undetected, but then grew worried when he realized he could only sense the strong presence of the twins, and to a lesser degree Finn. He could barely sense Rey. And when he spotted Finn carrying her seemingly unconscious body, he nearly panicked and gave away his position right then by trying to run to her. He was just barely able to avoid laser fire from the assassin droid before he eluded it again, luring it further away from the direction of the others.

Ben's head was spinning with panic as he ducked down behind a broken engine. What had happened to Rey? Did the medicine not work? Did it make her sick? What if something worse had happened?

Taking a brief moment to hide, Ben tried reaching out to Rey through the force, hoping she would respond to him. Yet he received no answer, only sensing her muted presence. It relieved him to know she was at least alive, but now he feared that something bad had happened to her and the baby.

Before Ben could even think properly, IG-66 suddenly appeared.

**“Surrender. There is no escape.”**

“Bet you’d like that.” Ben blocked its incoming attack and ducked away to another nearby scrap heap. By this point he was getting desperate, now determined to go on the offensive and disable the droid so he could get back to his wife’s side as quickly as possible.

It took some creative thinking and a lot of maneuvering on Ben’s part, but using the force, he started hurling large pieces of ship parts at the droid. While IG-66 was able to blast through the projectiles easily enough, it failed to notice that Ben was merely using them as a distraction as he inched ever closer to the droid’s proximity.

Once he was within striking range, Ben grabbed the lid off a broken trash reciprocal and aimed it straight at the droid’s head, flinging it as hard as he could. The metal lid nailed IG-66 in its optic lenses, cracking two of them and causing it to momentarily stop shooting as it stumbled about.

Ben used that opportunity to attack head-on, raising his lightsaber high and rushing forward as he slammed it down hard on the assassin droid.

Immediately the IG unit lifted its arm and somehow managed to block the kyber blade, deflecting the lightsaber back and leaving no mark on its armor.

Ben was shocked by this turn of events until he noticed deflectors from a riot baton had been embedded into its arm covers. Not to be deterred, he attacked it again, only for the droid to raise its other arm to block him, with the same results.

Changing tactics, Ben tried attacking its legs, which had no coverings. He barely managed to cut into the incredibly thick metal armor but was at least making more progress. Before he could fully slice in, the assassin droid was aiming a blaster at his face and nearly shot his head off.

Ben rolled across the ground, just barely managing to dodge the blasts which singed his tunic. Reaching out, Ben deactivated his lightsaber, which dislodged itself from the droid’s leg and flew back in his hand. Reactivating it, he used it to deflect another hail of laser fire the IG unit unleashed upon him.

Quickly Ben raced away, putting distance between himself and the assassin droid as he retreated behind a scrap pile. Breathing heavily and ignoring the tiredness of his body, Ben started rethinking his strategy.

It became all too apparent that he wouldn’t be able to slice or shoot his way through the IG unit even if he tried. Whoever built that thing knew what materials to use to combat a lightsaber and even gave it tools to counteract the abilities of a force user. Between that and its endless supply of weapons, Ben was starting to think he was in trouble. At this point, it seemed the only way to defeat the droid for sure was to make it self-detonate.

Looking up, he spotted his family on the move again, which filled him with hope. If he could just last long enough for them to get away, then he could make the droid explode without worry, even if he was caught within its radius. While he wanted to keep his promise to Rey that they’d all escape the planet safely together, if it came down to it, Ben knew he would protect his family first and foremost. Even if it meant making the ultimate sacrifice.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Finn and the others were hiding behind the last scrap pile within range of the land speeder. The distance between them was twice as long to overcome, but Finn knew once they’d made it over, they could finally make their escape.

“Alright, kids. Last hurdle. And it’s a long one. When I say go, we’re gonna run at the same time as fast as we can. Do not stop until you get to the speeder. Got it?”

“Got it!” The kids exclaimed before Finn quickly shushed them.

Waiting for their moment to run, Finn shifted Rey around in his arms and stretched out his legs in preparation. The twins began imitating him, stretching out their limbs as they got ready for another sprint.

Peeking out behind the junk pile, Finn made sure the droid was facing away before starting his countdown.

“Start running on three…one…two…three!”

Altogether, Finn with Rey in his arms, BB-8, and the twins made a mad dash for the speeder.

Immediately, Fin felt himself jerk backward as the others ran ahead. Looking behind him, the boy noticed his satchel had gotten caught on a jagged metal rod that stuck out of the pile. He quickly yanked the bag loose, unknowingly tearing a hole in the side.

Seeing the others far ahead of him, Fin rushed to catch up with them. He was halfway across when he realized that medical supplies and other items were spilling out of the satchel. Quickly the boy came to a stop, doubling back to pick up all the items he had dropped in the sand.

BB-8 stopped short when he noticed that Fin was lagging behind, and beeped in alarm, quickly racing back to fetch the boy.

Meanwhile, Finn, Rey, and Anni had made it safely across to the speeder before they realized something was wrong.

“Alright, we made it! We…wait, where’s your brother? Where’s BB-8?” Finn asked, looking around frantically.

Anni heard BB-8’s high-pitched beeping and turned to see the tiny droid rolling after her brother, who was squatting in the sand. “There they are!”

Finn’s eyes widened in alarm as he tried shouting over in a hushed tone. “Fin! Fin, get over here now!”

Unfortunately, the boy didn’t hear him, as he continued to pick up the dropped items, trying unsuccessfully to put them back inside the ripped bag. BB-8 soon caught up to Fin and started pulling him away by his tunic.

“Hang on BB-8, I need to find something first!” Fin protested.

The boy searched around desperately, trying to see through the darkness until he spotted what he was looking for. Sticking out of the sand a small distance away, just barely visible, was the hilt of his mother’s lightsaber. Disregarding BB-8's pleas, Fin ran towards it.

* * *

Across the yard, IG-66 was using its scanner to locate Ben, who had managed to duck away and hide.

Suddenly its alarm went off, leading it towards a different direction. Turning its head, the droid spotted a young blonde boy in the distance, who had his back to them as he bent down to pick an item up from the sand.

 **“Target DNA detected. 50% match with Kylo Ren.”** The assassin droid followed its scanner, immediately making its way towards Fin.

Ben then peeked out from his hiding spot and watched in horror as the droid approached his son. Thinking fast, he spotted a discarded metal chain nearby and began pulling it out of the pile.

BB-8 screeched in alarm as he raced up to Fin, finally getting the boy’s attention. Fin looked up and realized too late he’d been spotted, backing away as the tall, imposing droid approached him.

**“You will be used to help capture the fugitive Kylo Ren. Should you resist or become hostile, you will be eliminated.”**

Fin gazed up in terror at the droid, clutching the lightsaber close to him as he became paralyzed with fear. BB-8 rolled in front of him, readying its taser to attack.

Just then, a small metal projectile shot out of nowhere and hit IG-66 in the head. The droid, stumbled a bit, looking around for the item that struck it. Before it could turn its head, a dozen more metal pieces shot at the droid, nailing it in his head, body, and optic sensors, forcing it to raise its arms in defense.

Fin watched in confusion as the droid was assaulted with fast-moving, metal objects when he heard his sister shouting from afar.

“Fin, BB-8! Run for it!” Anni had her hands outstretched toward him, using the force to shoot metal bolts from the pile she had gathered earlier with BB-8.

Snapping out of it, Fin immediately got to his feet as he and BB-8 raced toward Anni and Finn.

Seeing its potential captive flee, IG-66 began shooting blindly in Fin’s direction.

Fin managed to dodge most of the lasers as he and BB-8 raced across the sand. BB-8 whirled its head around and upon seeing Fin about to be shot at, steered itself into the boy, knocking him aside as a large blast erupted, causing Fin to tumble onto the sand while BB-8 bounced away. The boy tried scrambling back on his feet as IG-66 fought off the projectiles and approached from behind, ready to seize him.

A metal chain then shot out from behind it, seizing the droid by the arm and pulling it away. The chain then wrapped itself around the IG unit's body, binding its arms and legs tightly together.

Fin glanced back and was surprised to see Ben standing behind the droid, now gripping the chain as he struggled to hold the IG unit back.

“Get to the speeder now!” Ben commanded.

Nodding, Fin got up, meeting with a disoriented BB-8 before they finally made their way back to Anni, Finn, and Rey. The droid wasn’t through though, using its shoulder lasers to shoot at the group from afar. The laser blasts went over their heads luckily but also ended up striking the land speeder, causing Finn to lead the others away to the nearest scrap pile for cover.

IG-66 then turned its attention to Ben, using its shoulder blasters to shoot at him. Ben maneuvered around, keeping his hold on the chain until the droid shot through it, severing it in half. Ben dropped the chain and activated his lightsaber before attacking the assassin droid head-on. IG-66 broke out of the chains, raising its limbs in time to block him as Ben started aggressively bashing the droid. Even though he knew he wouldn’t be able to slice through, Ben continued his relentless attack, resuming his goal to keep the droid's focus on him and away from Finn and his family.

* * *

After running away from the speeder and hiding everyone safely behind another scrap pile, Finn carefully set down Rey for a moment, trying to catch his breath and give his aching arms and legs a break. Despite all the intense movements, sounds, and excitement of battle, Rey remained unconscious, making Finn worry just how deeply her coma went. He pushed that thought aside though, turning his focus on the kids and their escape plan.

“That was close guys. Too close. No more slip-ups, okay? We need to escape and we need to escape now. When we run this time, both of you stay close to me. For real this time.”

“No! No, I can’t go back out there!” Finn shook his head frantically, tears now running down his scared face. “That droid's gonna get us! We-we’re not gonna make it! We-”

“Hey, hey, Woah, easy there,” Finn said, kneeling as he consoled the young boy who dissolved into tears. “Look, I know you’re scared. That was a very scary thing you just went through. But that’s why we need to get to the speeder. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner we'll be safe. Just have to be brave and hold on a little longer okay?”

Fin wiped the tears from his face, still whimpering. “Okay…”

Finn nodded and turned to Anni. “What about you? Can you be brave too?”

“Of course! I’m always brave!” Anni said confidently, as she placed a comforting arm around her brother. BB-8 whistled in agreement as well.

“Good,” Finn said, turning to carefully pick up Rey again. “Get ready kids. When I say go, fun as fast as you both can to the speeder.”

The twins nodded, trying to be brave but still looking as scared as Finn felt. Holding Rey close, he watched as Ben and the droid fought, waiting for the opportunity to run.

Ben meanwhile was slamming his lightsaber down hard, using all his strength and force powers to strike IG-66's arms repeatedly, to the point where he was starting to make cracks in the droid’s deflectors.

“Give up and die already, you rotting tin can!” Ben sneered at the droid.

Unable to hold off any longer, IG-66 backed away and activated its gravity connectors, slamming its foot down hard into the sand as the vibrations caused Ben to stumble backward.

Noting the damage on its arms, the droid referenced its back up protocol.

**“Situation becoming dire. Activating final assault protocol before self-destruct sequence is initiated.”**

IG-66 then retracted its limbs inside itself, withdrawing two long halves of a Gatling blaster which combined into one. Once completed, the droid held up the blaster and began firing rapidly, its body rotating as it shot up everything in Ben's vicinity, striking every junk pile, sand dune, and even parts of the farmhouse.

Ben ducked as he avoided the intense laser blasts, flinching as he was hit with pieces of shrapnel from the firepower. The droid followed his movements and was soon rotating its body around, shooting everything in sight. Looking up, Ben watched in horror as everything in the yard went up in flames, illuminating the area like a bonfire. Luckily the flames didn't strike the hut but were still dangerously close.

Suddenly he thought back to the vision he had earlier in the canyons, with everything in his yard bursting into flames. The 2nd part of the vision had now come true.

On the other side of the yard, Finn was about to yell ‘go’ when he noticed the droid pulling out its new Gatling blaster.

“Stay back!” He exclaimed, ushering the kids behind the junk pile.

As the rapid-fire started, the intense laser blasts fired in their direction multiple times, causing nearby piles to tumble over and other items to burst into flames. Thankfully their pile was thick enough to safely shield them all from the blasts.

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said of the land-speeder.

As Finn held Rey close while the twins held onto him and BB-8, he watched the laser blasts strike the land-speeder, igniting its engine and causing the entire vehicle to erupt in a fiery explosion.

“Oh, come on!” Finn exclaimed.

The twins noticed as well, a look of panic on their faces as their last means of escape went up in flames.

“What do we do now Doctor Finn?” Anni asked worriedly. "How do we escape?"

Finn had no answer for them. Their ride was destroyed. They were trapped.

Once the rapid-fire stopped, Ben got unsteadily to his feet and waited before ambushing the droid from behind. IG-66 immediately whipped around, unleashing the blaster upon Ben, who deflected a few blasts before one struck him in his injured arm.

Ben let out a scream before slicing the Gatling blaster in half. The droid stumbled back as it retracted its severed limbs into its body, replacing them with new, long-range blasters. Ben fell to his knees, gripping his injured arm and letting out a pained cry, getting the attention of Finn and the twins. They looked out from behind the pile and watched as the droid closed in on Ben.

“I need to do something,” Finn said, placing Rey back on the ground before fumbling at his belt for his blaster, only to find it missing. “Shoot! I dropped it in the yard! Argh, I need a weapon!”

“Here!” Fin said, offering up the item he had been holding on to. “Use mommy’s lightsaber to help daddy.”

Finn took the lightsaber hesitantly. He hadn’t held one since facing off against Kylo Ren long ago on Starkiller base, and even then, he had lost. Still, it was the only weapon at his disposal right now, prompting Finn to ignite the blue blade.

Nodding at them in gratitude, Finn turned to BB-8. “Watch them until I get back.”

BB-8 beeped in response before Finn raced off to help Ben.

* * *

Ben was breathing heavily, holding his arm as he tried forcing his body through the pain. IG-66 approached and stood overhead, directing its blaster straight at Ben.

**“You have been charged with genocide, planetary destruction, mass murder, kidnapping, torture, and other various war crimes committed against the Republic and several dozen star systems. The punishment for which is execution, to be carried out immediately.”**

Ben went to thrust his hand forward to seize the blaster, only for the droid to unleash another sonic wave, knocking Ben onto his back. The droid held its blaster to Ben’s head, ready to fire when Finn rushed in. Swinging his lightsaber down, he effectively sliced the droid’s blaster in half, destroying it.

The droid barely had time to react when it began raising its arms, blocking itself against Finn’s fiercely wild swings as it was pushed away from Ben’s vicinity.

Ben looked up in shock as he watched Finn defend him. Wanting to help, Ben tried to sit up, only to flinch from the pain and topple back from the dizziness and overall exhaustion his body was feeling.

Finn meanwhile didn’t cease with his attacks, trying to put as much space between the IG unit and Ben as possible. He just barely avoided getting shot at by the droid’s shoulder blasters and was backhanded hard to the ground. Flinching from the rough landing, Finn watched in horror as the assassin droid approached him.

 **“You will be eliminated for your treachery to the Republic.”** IG-66 declared as it raised a blaster at Finn.

Quickly looking around, Finn noticed the nearby flimsy scrap pile stacked high with metal parts. Remembering his earlier training, Finn raised his hand toward the pile and managed to force summon a metal engine part sticking out of the side. It flew at IG-66, nailing it in the side of the head, and distracting it from Finn. The droid turned and looked up to see the flimsy metal pile toppling over onto it, pinning it underneath.

Seeing his opportunity, Finn raced away from the droid toward Ben, who was still trying to get up. Finn knelt and extended his hand, which Ben grabbed and held firm as Finn pulled him to his feet. Before they could say anything, the droid began blasting its way out of the pile.

Finn quickly escorted Ben away, hiding them behind a nearby, overturned cooling unit. They ducked down as IG-66 broke free of the pile and began searching for them.

“Where are the kids?” Ben asked quickly.

“Hiding nearby,” Finn responded just as quickly. “The speeder’s destroyed. No way to escape.”

Ben swore under his breath. “And Rey?”

“Unconscious,” Finn said, flinching as a laser blast whizzed over his heads. “Side effect of the medicine.”

Ben gritted his teeth and stood quickly, yelling out as he deflected several laser blasts back at the droid. He managed to take out one of its blasters and damage another of its optic lenses, briefly stunning it.

Ben knelt back down to address Finn. “Then there’s only one option. We need to work together to destroy that thing. Now.”

“How?” Finn asked. “Our weapons barely make a dent in its armor. Besides, there’s still the risk of it self-detonating.”

“Then we stop it from doing that first,” Ben said determinedly. “You know about these droids, there has to be a way to disable it. Or at least stop it from blowing up.”

Finn licked his lips, thinking quickly to himself. “It’s core processor…that’s where the detonation device is. If we focus on destroying that, we could stop the droid from activating its emergency self-destruct protocol and possibly disable it altogether. But the core’s in the center of its chest. We’d need some heavy-duty weaponry to reach it and that armor is laser proof.”

Ben’s face lit up in realization. “Not completely. There’s still one way.”

Finn watched as Ben held up his lightsaber. “Wait, you mean slice through it? Ben that’s not-”

“Its armor may be lightsaber resistant but it’s not impenetrable.” Ben pointed out. “I was able to slice through its leg earlier. If we can pin it down and use both our sabers to attack, we might be able to overwhelm it and strike the core.”

“But that droid will still shoot us before we even get close!” Finn protested anxiously. “Besides, you could barely handle it on your own before, and I still have no idea how to wield this thing properly. My inexperience will hold you back.”

Ben thought to himself when an idea came to him. “I can teach you. Go inside my mind.”

“Wait, what?” Finn asked in confusion. “What are you-”

“You can read minds and emotions, Finn. I know you can because Rey taught you.” Ben pointed out to Finn’s further confusion. “We saw into each other’s minds, remember? We can do that again. This time I can show you my fighting techniques and have them ingrained into your memory. The effect won’t last long, but it’ll be enough for you to properly defend yourself until we can destroy that thing.”

Finn’s face paled and shook his head. “No. Last time I was in your head, I messed you up so bad you went all dark side again.”

“Last time, you forced yourself into my mind. This time I’m letting you in.” Ben stated. “We have to at least try.”

The laser blasts resumed as the droid shot at them again. This time, Ben forced summoned the broken wing of a ship, ripping it out of a nearby pile and hurling it at the droid. The IG united stumbled back as the bulky material weighed it down, momentarily blocking it from view.

Ben looked at Finn in desperation. “Finn, you asked me before to trust you. Now I’m asking you to trust me. I know that’s near impossible given all I’ve done, but it’s to save my family. I think that’s one thing we can both agree is worth the risk.”

Finn paused, his mind swirling with uncertainty as he listened to the droid blasting its way through the metal debris in the distance. Knowing there was no other way, he nodded reluctantly. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

Relived, Ben turned toward Finn and raised his hand toward him. “Just relax and do as I do.”

Although still uncomfortable, Finn braced himself as Ben carefully placed two fingers on his right temple. Finn then raised his own hand and placed two fingers against Ben’s right temple.

“Close your eyes, and when I finish counting to three, ease yourself inside my mind. I’ll show you everything you need to see.”

“But what if-”

“Concentrate,” Ben said sternly. “Focus on the fighting, not the memories themselves. This will only take a moment.”

Finn swallowed and nodded nervously as they closed their eyes.

“One…two…three!”

Finn squeezed his eyes tight. Immediately he found himself careening through the door of Ben’s mind and back in the room full of cracked holo-screens tainted with red. This time, however, the memories he saw were more focused and clearer than before.

He was shown images from Ben’s younger days when he was training at Luke’s Jedi academy. He watched as Luke taught Ben and several other young Jedi how to spar with their lightsabers, as well as how to block and dodge attacks, sometimes while wearing blaster shields. As he watched Ben spar with the other kids, clearly being the more talented of the bunch, his fighting style and techniques started to sink into Finn’s mind, like he was the one being trained. Finn watched a few other training sessions beyond that, including memories from when Ben trained with Snoke and the Knights of Ren, though he tried not to linger on the unpleasantness of them for too long.

Ben's training with Rey however was the most surprising. Instead of fighting each other the way he’d seen them do before, he watched as they fought side by side against different opponents, moving together in perfect unison, almost like they were dancing. Even when they were training their children or playfully sparring with each other, they were in total sync, like one warrior split into two. At one point, he watched as they combined their force powers, holding hands as they used the force to push back a legion of oncoming attackers. They even managed to fight while sharing only one lightsaber, somehow handing it back and forth to each other through the force despite being on opposite sides of the battlefield.

Every lesson Finn saw became automatically burned into his brain until it almost felt like second nature.

Finally, Fin then felt himself get yanked back into his own mind, his head now buzzing with what he’d seen. He opened his eyes to see Ben looking weary but concerned. “You okay?”

Finn blinked a few times before nodded. “Yeah. Never better.”

Just then there was a blast above their heads, and they looked up to see the droid nearly upon them.

“Ready?” Ben asked, igniting his lightsaber.

Finn ignited his lightsaber. “Ready.”

Ben nodded firmly. “Now!”

Both men leaped out of their hiding spot, simultaneously bringing their sabers down hard on the droid. IG-66 held up both its arms, blocking their blades but was unable to retaliate as they quickly attacked, again and again, putting it on the defensive. Slowly the droid started backing away as the two men unleashed every attack in unison, with Finn mimicking Ben’s fight style almost perfectly. Finn was amazed by just how fluidly he now moved, how quick his reflexes had become, and how attuned his instincts were. He could hear Ben's thoughts telling him where and when to attack, almost like they shared one mind. Was this what it was like to be one with the force? If so, he was looking forward to his Jedi training more than ever now.

Meanwhile, the droid was struggling to combat the combined power of two Jedi. Even with its arm deflectors activated, IG-66 couldn’t deter them from attacking and kept being forced backward toward the scrap piles. It tried using its sonic waves but couldn’t stand still long enough to do so. At one point it tried using its shoulder blasters, but both Ben and Finn seemed to anticipate this, using the force to crush and rip them off. Soon both were constantly slashing at its arms and chest, not enough to break through the armor but enough to leave serious scorch marks and soften up the heated metal. The droid had no choice but to stay on the defensive, unable to fight back as it was slowly cornered.

From behind the scrap pile, BB-8 and the twins poked their heads out to see what was going on and were amazed to see Ben and Finn fighting the IG-66 side by side.

“Go, Daddy! Beat up that droid!” Anni cheered.

“You can do it, Doctor Finn!” Fin called out enthusiastically.

Together, they severed both the droid’s blasters and force pushed it back into a scrap pile. Ben then bent and twisted the scraps around with the force, firmly pinning the IG unit's limbs in place.

“Let’s end this,” Ben stated, glancing at Finn.

“Agreed.” Finn concurred.

Together they raised their lightsabers high and thrust them into the droid’s chest. They were met with resistance from the thick metal but continued to slice in, pushing the blades as deep as they could go.

“Keep going!” Finn said, gritting his teeth from the effort. “Almost through!”

Ben nodded and adjusted his grip on his saber, sinking it deeper as IG-66 struggled to get loose.

“Just...a little…more....” Finn grunted, struggling to maintain his grip.

**“Si-si-situation d-d-dire. Acti-Activate S-s-s-s-self-destruct!”**

A high-pitched beeping noise rang out as IG-66's remaining functional optic sensors started blinking red.

The two men looked at each other in a panic. Ben glanced behind him and saw his kids watching with worried expressions.

Acting on instinct, Ben force shoved Finn back across the sand.

“Hey, what are you-” Finn yelled out as he fell to the ground.

Ben then grabbed both saber handles and pushed them both into the droid as the beeping noise grew quicker. Then with an extraordinary amount of strength, Ben shoved them both into its center.

The high-pitched beeping noise stopped, followed by the sound of the droid powering down.

A silent pause followed as Ben maintained his grip on the lightsabers, waiting with bated breath. Finn sat up and watched. Nothing happened. The droid laid limply in the pile and did not move.

Slowly Ben released his grip, letting out a shaky breath as he stepped back, amazed that they were able to do it.

“Woohoo! Way to go Daddy!” The twins cheered from behind the pile and BB-8 whistled in celebration.

Ben smiled at them in appreciation. He then turned to Finn and offered his hand. Finn gave him a grateful look as he grabbed his hand, allowing Ben to pull him to his feet. Ben was unable to stop himself from grinning, the two men chuckling in disbelief before letting out sighs of relief.

"We did it," Ben said in amazement. "The plan worked."

"I know right?" Finn said in disbelief. "Can't believe I was able to do all that just from a mind-meld."

“You were great back there,” Ben nodded in encouragement. “And to think you were worried about holding me back.”

“Well, what can I say,” Finn smirked. “You Naberries are really good teachers.”

Ben gave him an appreciative look and was about to respond when he heard a beeping noise.

Turning around, Ben saw IG-66's eyes light up again.

 **"Ac-ac-activating b-back up power source."** It then raised its leg high.

Ben barely had time to react when Finn grabbed him and shoved him aside, just as the IG unit let out an intense sonic blast. Finn was thrown back hard, flying up in the air and landing in the scrap pile nearest to the twins, who watched in horror as the droid came back to life.

IG-66 tore itself free from the pile, ripping out the lightsabers and flinging them aside before stomping toward Ben who had tumbled onto the ground.

Ben turned over and tried sitting up, only for the assassin droid to stomp onto his chest. Ben let out a grunt and grabbed the IG unit’s foot, attempting to push it off him. The droid didn't budge, however, and instead, let out another sonic wave right near Ben’s head.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!!!" Ben screamed out in pain.

“Daddy!” Anni and Fin exclaimed as BB-8 beeped in alarm.

Finn meanwhile struggled to sit up as his body was wracked with pain. The blast had knocked the wind out of him, and he was now sporting numerous cuts and bruises, including one nasty cut going down his leg from having landed on the jagged scrap metal. He tried pulling himself to his feet but slipped and went tumbling to the ground.

The twins watched as Finn fell off the scrap heap and landed at the bottom, struggling to move. Immediately they went over to help him, each putting an arm over their shoulders as they helped drag him behind the scrap heap where it where Rey and BB-8 were. Sitting up, Finn collapsed against the pile, breathing heavily as he could barely move from the pain. BB-8 rolled up to him, frantically beeping and whistling as he inspected Finn’s body.

“Are you gonna be okay Doctor Finn?” Anni asked worriedly.

Finn tried to put on a brave face but was in too much pain to do so. “I…I don’t know…”

Anni and Fin glanced at each other fearfully.

“What are we gonna do?” Fin asked his sister. "All the grown-ups are hurt. How are we gonna escape?"

Anni paused for a moment then rushed off.

“Hey, where are you going?” Fin called out.

“To help daddy!” She yelled as she sped away.

Fin looked helplessly after his sister, struggling with whether or not to follow.

“Go.”

Fin turned to see the former stormtrooper looking at him. “Help your sister.”

“But I can’t leave mommy alone! You're hurt and Daddy told me to-”

“It'll be fine. BB-8 and I will stay here with her.” Finn assured him, his voice sounding strained. “Go save your dad.”

Fin paused and then nodded before running off.

BB-8 rolled up to Finn, whistling at him before offering the Bacta vial. Finn glanced at it for a moment before taking it from the droid. Unscrewing the top, he poured a dab on his fingertip, sipping it up before handing the vial back to BB-8, who beeped in protest.

“Keep it on stand-by. Don’t waste all of it on me.”

Finn then turned to Rey, who remained unconscious and unmoving, the only sign of her being alive was her very slow breathing.

“Rey…if you can hear me…they need you…I need you…”

With much effort, Finn pulled himself toward her, hovering close enough to press his forehead against hers. Finn then placed his hand against her cheek, cupping her face as he closed his eyes and concentrated.

“Please Rey…wake up. We need you to...wake up....save....them....”

Running out of strength, Finn gave into fatigue and collapsed onto his side, his breathing growing heavy as he promptly passed out. BB-8 beeped out in alarm as he tried getting Finn's attention but to no avail. 

Unbeknownst to either of them, Rey’s fingers began to twitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boo, downer cliffhanger! Will everyone make it out okay? Will Rey wake up? Will nothing kill that droid? Find out in part 3!
> 
> Funny thing, I was going back to edit earlier chapters and ended up rereading everything I wrote. I don't know when this story turned into a Ben and Finn friendship fic, but I'm kinda rolling with it. I knew they'd have to eventually make amends in order for Finn to stay in Rey's life, but I find it surprisingly easy to write dialog and interactions between the two and keep finding excuses to do so. Besides, both of them need a good guy friend (Poe is more than a friend in this version), and Rey deserves to have her two best boi's getting along. A shame this could never work in the movies.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben is at the mercy of the assassin droid. Luckily, his family is here to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whewy, I am on a roll here :) Seriously fellow writers, if you wanna make the writing process easier, get an editing program like Grammarly. It helps with the editing process SOOOO much, especially for perfectionists like me.
> 
> Anywho, part 3 of the droid battle is here. Will warn y'all now it gets rather intense by the end of this chapter. Just remember that this is a HEA story. Sometimes ya gotta make your characters suffer a bit to get that happy ending.
> 
> So of course, warnings for mentions of blood, severe injury, and violence. Also, my own bits of lore are present as well.

Chapter 10 

Ben screamed out in pain as the sonic vibrations from the assassin droid's gravity connectors rattled his skull. They were so intense, Ben feared his head would explode under the droid's foot if he didn't do something immediately. So, summoning all his strength and power, Ben used the force to shove IG-66 away from him, causing it to stumble backward.

Unfortunately, the damage had been done. Ben immediately collapsed onto his side, unable to sit back up, feeling as if the world was constantly spinning around him. He could barely see straight, his head pounding and his stomach churning to the point where he felt he would get sick and pass out. 

Ben was so disoriented that he barely noticed the droid out of the corner of his eye as it reapproached him. IG-66 bent down and picked Ben off the ground up by the scruff of his tunic. Not going down without a fight, Ben thrust his hand out for his lightsaber. However, a metal chain came flying at them instead, wrapping itself around the droid’s neck.

IG-66 dropped Ben to the ground as it pulled at the chain. Ben landed with a grunt, getting onto his hands and knees before crawling unsteadily toward his lightsaber, all while trying to fight the intense dizziness threatening to overtake him.

Once the droid untangled itself, it stomped over to Ben holding the chain. Ben glanced behind him and scurried away faster, only for the droid to easily catch up and pin him down.

“Argh! Get off me!” Ben shouted, struggling as IG-66 grabbed both of Ben’s hands and tied them together behind his back with the chain. Once properly bound, IG-66 stepped back and raised its blaster at Ben, ready to finish him once and for all.

**“On behalf of the New Republic, I hereby sentence and execute you for your numerous crimes against the galaxy.”**

Unable to move, Ben watched in terror as the droid’s blaster powered up and unleashed several shots at once.

***ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP ZAP***

Ben closed his eyes, waiting for the intense pain followed swiftly by death.

It did not come.

Confused, Ben opened his eyes and was surprised to see the lasers hovering in midair close to his face.

IG-66 withdrew his blaster in surprise. **“What is happening?”**

“Hey!”

IG-66 turned at the sound of the voice. Ben looked up as well and was shocked to see Anni standing there. Her hands were stretched out towards him, her face looking strained and red as she used the force to stop the lasers.

“Stay…away…from my daddy!” Anni shouted, her arms shaking as she clenched one of her fists and jerked it backward.

One of the lasers ricocheted back, striking the IG unit in the hand, and destroying its blaster. Anni jerked her other fist back, causing another laser to strike IG-66 in one of its optics, damaging it. The assassin droid stumbled back and pulled out another blaster, only for it to be destroyed by the lasers as well.

Ben watched in amazement as Anni kept the droid away from him, redirecting its own firepower back at it while destroying its weapons and hitting its weak points.

However, it soon became apparent that Anni was overly straining herself the longer she used her force powers. Blood began dripping down her nose and her body swayed unsteadily as she struggling to stand while maintaining control.

With one last clench of her fists, Anni jerked them both back, causing the remaining lasers to strike IG-66 all at once. This droid’s sensor exploded upon impact, disorienting it, and causing it to fall back into a scrap pile.

Having released her hold, Anni closed her eyes and fell forward, collapsing unconsciously onto the sand.

“Anni!” Ben called out in alarm. “Anni wake up! Wake up!”

IG-66 stood back up, trying to readjust to its surroundings now that its sensor was destroyed and its optics were cracked. The first thing IG spotted was Anni lying unconsciously on the ground. Recognizing its attacker, IG-66 began making its way towards her, pulling out another blaster.

“Stay away from her, you filthy droid! Anni! ANNI!” Ben shouted, struggling fiercely against his binds.

The dark-haired girl did not stir. Ben tried reaching out with the force but met with a throbbing headache. Shaking it off, he looked around for his lightsaber, only to find that it was now missing.

As IG-66 approached the unconscious girl with its blaster raised, racing footsteps echoed loudly behind it. Suddenly as a small figure jumped off the nearby junk pile.

“SNEAK ATTACK!”

Fin leaped into the air and landed on the droids back, holding up Ben’s lightsaber. Activating it, Fin began wailing on the droid with the saber, leaving slash and scorch marks. IG-66 rotated its body, trying to grab and shoot at Fin, who hung onto the droid as it swung him around.

“Fin?” Ben blinked in confusion before calling out to him. “Hold on!”

“Don’t worry daddy, I got-Woah!!” Fin nearly dropped the lightsaber, deactivating it as he held on tightly to the droid, who started swinging its body around to throw the boy off.

“Hang on, on I’m coming!” Ben tried getting to his feet but fell back to the ground, still dizzy from the attack. He watched helplessly as his son held onto the droid for dear life, unable to use the weapon to attack. Ben tried thinking of a plan when he noticed the hollow opening under the droid’s arm as it reached up behind itself to grab Fin.

“It’s arm…Fin strike it under its arm!” Ben called out.

Fin looked down and saw what his dad meant. Waiting until the droid lifted its arm again, Fin activated the lightsaber and thrust it into the droid’s armpit. The blade jammed the droid's arm in place, causing its body to jerk violently while letting off sparks.

Fin jumped to the ground as the droid stumbled around trying to get its arm unstuck. He then ran over to Anni, pulling her up from the sand. “Anni wake up! We need to hide!”

Anni didn’t respond and Fin became worried when he saw the blood running down her face from her nose. Thinking fast, he carefully placed two fingers on the bridge of her nose and tweaked it slightly. Fin closed his eyes and let out a slow breath as he began healing her. The familiar nausea started building in his stomach again, but Fin pushed it down, not wanting to break concentration or get sick all over his sister.

After a few moments, Anni blinked awake, coughing, and wiping the blood and sand off her face. Ben opened his eyes at the sound and let out a sigh of relief to see Anni conscious again.

“You’re okay!” Fin exclaimed happily.

Anni shook her head slightly in confusion. “Fin? What's going on- your hand!”

Fin looked down to see his hand has turned a pale ghostly white. As what happened with his other hand, it too was now completely numb.

IG-66 finally managed to pry the lightsaber out of its arm socket, tossing it aside. It then turned towards the kids, who noticed the droid watching them and backed away looking terrified. Though unable to scan them, the droid was still able to identify its previous targets.

**“S-subjects have become increasingly combative and aggressive. Such inter-interference must be dealt with to properly carry out objective. C-conclusion: Adding to l-l-l-list of targets for elimination, before focusing on primary target.”**

Having overheard the droid, Ben screamed out towards the kids. “RUN!!”

The twins immediately bolted away as the assassin droid started firing on them. They ducked and weaved between the junk piles, dodging the laser blasts which set fire to everything around them.

Ben struggled against his chains, trying to sit up but to no avail. Looking for his discarded lightsaber, Ben spotted and crawled towards it. He turned himself over, pressing his metal binds against the activated Kyber blade until the chain was severed. Now free, Ben grabbed his lightsaber and slowly got to his feet, wobbling unsteadily as he chased after them.

* * *

Finn slowly opened his eyes, letting out a groan as he finally came to. Although his head was pounding, his body wasn’t as sore as before. The cut on his leg had healed somewhat but still felt tender.

Once Finn was able to sit up comfortably and get his bearings, he looked around for BB-8 but didn’t see the small droid anywhere. His confusion quickly turned to panic once he realized that Rey was no longer there either.

“Rey!? BB-8!?” Finn called out, looking around desperately.

Just then two screams rang out. Finn’s head spun in that direction just as Anni and Fin went running by, being pursued by IG-66, who shot at them as they ran.

Putting his search aside, Finn frantically looked around for a weapon he could use. Alas, he had neither a blaster nor a lightsaber at his disposal. It wasn’t until he heard the twins screaming again that Finn got desperate and ran over to the rusted husk of a service ship. He managed to wrench off the ship's side door before rushing in the direction of the kids.

Anni and Fin meanwhile tried to stay as far ahead of the droid as they could, which proved difficult as the droid continually shot at them, striking every object around them and setting it ablaze. It wasn’t long before the twins ran into a dead end, as one of the burning scrap heaps toppled over, blocking their path. They turned and watched fearfully as the assassin droid caught up, blocking them in and pulling out two blasters. The twins backed away in terror, holding onto each other as the droid aimed.

 **“For the crime of aiding a wanted fugitive, I charge you both with conspiracy against the Republic and sentence you both to execution,”** IG-66 said as it pulled the trigger.

Suddenly, Finn leaped in from over the scrap heap, holding the broken door of a ship. Finn landed in front of the kids with his shield, blocking the kids from the rapid-fire lasers unleashed by the IG unit.

“Get behind me!” Finn commanded as he struggled to maintain his grip.

The twin clamored behind Finn, who planted his feet firmly on the ground as the laser made huge dents in his shield. Sparks and shrapnel flew everywhere, at one point striking Finn’s injured leg, causing him to yell out as he dropped to one knee. Still, he kept the shield up, forcing himself through the pain as he struggled to protect himself and the kids.

When Ben arrived, his head now clearer than before, he was horrified to see his children cowering behind Finn as all three were being shot at. IG-66 did not let up either, shooting endlessly as it started chipping away at the door shield. Finn let out a scream as the sparks started burning his hand, causing him to nearly drop the shield. The twins screamed in terror, holding onto Finn for dear life before they spotted Ben.

“Daddy!” Anni called out.

“Daddy help!” Fin pleaded.

“Kids!!” Ben screamed, watching as the droid began closing in. 

Looking around frantically, Ben spotted a metal can in the sand. Grabbing it, he hurled it at the droid as hard as he could.

IG-66 flinched as the object banged against its head, causing it to stop shooting. It turned toward Ben, who held up his lightsaber in a taunting manner. 

"What'd you forget about me already? Pick on someone your own size and power level, you walking scrap heap!"

The droid immediately began shooting at Ben, who deflected the lasers with his lightsaber, before using the force to redirect them where they'd hurt the droid most. IG-66 managed to block some of the deflected lasers, but without its scanner, it was unable to properly aim at or defend itself against Ben. Going on the defensive, the droid lifted its leg to let off another shock wave. Ben quickly raised his hand to restrain the droid, dropping his lightsaber and using both hands to attempt crushing the gravity connectors underneath.

Using that moment of distraction, IG-66 manage to aim its blaster in Ben's general direction and shot at one of his outstretched hands. Despite shooting blindly, the laser hit its mark, striking Ben's fingers.

"AHHHH!!!" Ben yelled out in pain, clutching his left hand as he lost control over the droid. 

“Daddy!” The twins shouted.

“Ben!” Fin yelled, trying to get up but stumbling from the wound in his leg.

Ben fell onto his side, gasping in pain as he held his heavily bleeding hand. Carefully holding it up, Ben paled when he saw that his ring and pinky fingers had both been shot off below the joint. Ben collapsed from the shock of the pain, holding his hand close to his chest while breathing heavily.

Seeing its opportunity, IG-66 moved forward with its blaster raised, ready to finish off Ben once and for all.

***ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ* CRASH***

Suddenly a huge bolt of lightning burst forth, striking the droid from the side, and sending it tumbling across the yard.

Finn and the twins looked over in shock.

Ben looked up as the droid was blasted away and turned his head in the direction of the lightning, his eyes widened in amazement.

There, standing off to the side, her hand raised and crackling with electricity, was Rey. And she looked furious.

“Get. Away. From. My Family!” She yelled angrily.

“Mommy!” The twins exclaimed with joy.

Finn’s mouth dropped in shock when he spotted Rey. She was now fully awake, looking alert and determined as electricity surged throughout her arm. Even her eyes seemed to emit a strange bluish glow to them.

BB-8 appeared behind her, quickly rolling over to Finn and the twins as he ushered them further back and out of range of Rey.

IG-66 struggling to stand up, its armor now smoking and scorched while its systems went haywire from the overabundance of electricity. Emitting sparks from its joints, it tried raising its weapon at Rey, only to be blasted again by another surge of lightning, causing it to tumble backward into a scrap heap.

“Alright, mommy!” Anni cheered.

Fin looked back at the former stormtrooper excitedly. “Is that the force lightning you were talking about? That’s so cool!”

“Yeah, cool,” Finn said, still feeling a little overwhelmed by what he was seeing.

Seeing the droid was down for the moment, Rey lowered her hand and raced over to Ben, who was still on the ground groaning in pain. Feeling her familiar presence and gentle touch on his forehead, Ben looked up, his face filled with a pained relief. “Rey…”

“Are you alright? Can you sit up?” She asked, looking at him in concern.

When he nodded, Rey knelt by his side and carefully helped Ben sit up, causing him to let out an agonized hiss as he held his still bleeding hand close to his chest.

“Ben, what’s wrong? What did it do to you?” Rey asked, panicked by all the blood on his shirt.

Ben groaned and showed her his hand, along with the two bloodied nubs where his fingers used to be. Rey looked shocked and outraged, carefully grasping Ben’s hand as she surveyed the damaged. She then covered his hand with her own, closing her eyes to concrete on healing him.

While Rey focused on Ben, IG-66 stumbled out of the scrap heap, its burning body shaking, with sparks emitting from every crevice. It struggled to move its limbs as it once again tried aiming at Rey.

“Mommy, look out!” Fin shouted, causing Rey to look up.

Suddenly the droid’s arm jerked upwards, causing it to shoot a laser off into the sky. Its arm then twisted to the left as the blaster was being wrenched out of its grasp.

Rey watched in confusion as the droid flailed about and glanced behind her. She was amazed to see Finn with his hand outstretched, concentrating as he used the force to pry the blaster loose.

“I won’t let you hurt her!” Finn yelled as he clenched his fist, crushing the blaster before yanking it out of the droid’s hand.

IG-66 stumbled off balance a bit before pulling another blaster out of its arm compartment. Again, Finn used the force to grab that as well, crushing the weapon and pulling it out of the droid’s grip. The droid then pulled blasters from both arms and was about to double team Finn when both were ripped from its hands.

Finn looked down to see the twins using their force powers the same way he did, yanking the blasters away and crushing them into pieces. IG-66 then started summoning weapons out of its legs and shoulders, but each time, Finn and the twins would either destroy them or rip them away from the droid faster than it could replace them.

As the three distracted the droid, Rey turned her attention back to Ben. Carefully she ripped off a piece of her tunic, using it to bandage his hand and cover his injured fingers, which had thankfully stopped bleeding.

“I told you not to fight that thing without me,” Rey said, tightening his bandages. “Now look what’s happened.”

Ben couldn’t help but smirk. “Sorry…didn’t want to interrupt your beauty sleep.”

Rey scowled briefly at Ben before finishing tying the bandage. “We need to destroy that thing immediately.”

Ben nodded, “Agreed. I've been observing its weak points, and the only thing it seems vulnerable to is electricity. Maybe another lightning blast will do the trick?”

Rey thought for a moment, getting an idea before looking at Ben intently. “I have an even better plan. You still trust me, right?”

Ben gazed at her softly. “Always.”

Rey smiled. “Then lend me your strength…please?” She extended her hand towards his uninjured one.

“Only if you lend me yours,” Ben said lovingly, as he took her outstretched hand.

* * *

It wasn’t long before Finn and the twins managed to rip off and destroy nearly every weapon the IG unit possessed. 

While Finn used the force to disarm and restrain IG-66, Anni ran off briefly and managed to summon her father’s lightsaber from across the yard. She then activated it, grinning excitedly as she turned and rushed at the droid.

Screaming loudly, Anni grabbed onto its leg and began stabbed at it repeatedly. The droid stumbled and tried grabbing at her, only for Fin to join the fray, now holding his mother's lightsaber, as he quickly grabbed onto its other leg. Like Anni, Fin started stabbing the droid repeatedly in the leg, causing IG-66 to stumble about. Although they weren't able to cut through its thick armor, the kids were able to leave some slash marks on the droid and weaken its joints, throwing off its balance. BB-8 also managed to get in a few shots at the assassin droid, attacking with his taser whenever it tried reaching for the kids.

Between the twins and BB-8 attacking its legs, and Finn restraining its arms while destroying all its weapons, IG-66 became stuck. Referencing its protocols, it decided to use one last tactical maneuver.

**“W-w-weapon supply d-d-depleted. Un-un-able to s-s-ubdue subjects. Un-unable to ini-initiat self-destruct s-s-s-sequence. Con-conclusion: Unleashing-ing f-f-final debil-bilating weapon.”**

Quickly the droid activated its gravity connectors and stomped the ground hard. The huge sonic vibrations managed to throw the kids off the droid’s legs, causing them as well as Finn and BB-8 to tumble off into the sand.

Now free of restraint, a compartment opened in IG-66’s forehead, revealing a small metal sphere that started blinking green.

Finn managed to get back on his feet, feeling dizzy but still able to stand. He moved unsteadily in front of the twins, who were trying to shake off their own dizziness, blocking them from view with his body.

As the IG unit was about to unleash its final weapon, another lightning blast struck the droid, sending it flying away from Finn. The metal ball fell out of its head compartment, landing in the sand as it suddenly became inactive.

Finn turned and was shocked to see Rey and Ben standing behind him, hand in hand. This time, however, it was Ben who now had his arm outstretched towards the droid, his bandaged hand crackling with electricity. The IG unit sat up, ripping its arm covering off before hurling it in Ben’s direction. Rey stepped forward, stopping the armor piece in midair with the force before re-directing it back at the assassin droid. The metal piece moved so fast and struck so hard, it impaled the droid through its armor.

Rey thrust her arm forward, shooting lightning at the droid and zapping it so hard, its right arm popped off. Ben too unleashed another blast of lightning, zapping off its other arm in the process.

Between the two of them, they were now bombarding the droid with lightning blasts, blasting off armor and other parts of it, reducing it further and further into a pile of burning scraps.

The twins sat up and watched in awe and amazement as their parents showed off their true power, unleashing wave after wave of powerful attacks.

“Go Mommy go!” Anni cheered loudly.

“Go, Daddy!” Fin called out. “Woohoo!”

Finn was completely speechless as he watched Rey and Ben completely wreck the droid. It made him think back to the memories he saw of them every time they fought together, combining their powers, and fighting side by side in unison as if they were one warrior. It was no wonder Rey didn’t want Ben fighting alone. As powerful as he was on his own, together they were unstoppable.

It was then Finn was reminded of a word he recalled hearing in both their memories. A word that described their whole symbiotic relationship and the strength that came from it. A word so rare it hadn’t been used in centuries.

_Dyad._

Rey glanced at her husband, “Together?”

Ben nodded at his wife. “Together.”

Both raised their arms, hands alight with electricity, and thrust them forward at the same time. Together, Rey and Ben unleashed a powerful duel lightning attack upon IG-66, striking the two gaping holes in its armor made by their lightsabers. Igniting its insides, the droid's whole body exploded on contact, with the force of the blast causing its head to pop off, leaving behind only a charred, burning husk that promptly collapsed to the ground in a smoking heap.

Finn, BB-8, and the twins cheered loudly, hugging, and high-fiving each other before racing toward Ben and Rey.

Ben let out a sigh of relief and smirked at Rey, who also looked relieved. Ben then reached over, cupping Rey's cheek as she pressed her forehead against his, savoring his touch.

“Remind me never to go into battle without you again,” Ben said, his hand caressing her cheek tenderly. “You have permission to shoot me if I do.”

“I’m not going to shoot you. I've done that plenty of times already.” Rey said, chuckling as she caressed him back. “But if you do go off on your own again and somehow manage to survive, I will hunt you down afterward and smack you around as a firm reminder.”

Ben laughed, cupping his wife’s smiling face with both hands as he leaned forward to kiss her.

Suddenly, Rey let out a loud gasp and grabbed her stomach.

“Rey!?” Ben exclaimed in concern as Rey sunk to the ground, landing on her knees. Ben grabbed Rey’s shoulders to steady her and noticed immediately as something wet began trickling down her leg.

“Ben…I think it’s time…” Rey breathed as she held her stomach.

“Rey!?” Finn exclaimed, his expression changing to concern as he approached them “What’s going on?”

“She’s in labor. For real this time.” Ben said urgently as he held her close and let her squeeze his hand. "It's alright Rey, just breathe."

Alarmed, Finn turned to a concerned BB-8. “Go to my med bag, quick. Get the equipment and medicine prepared. Wait for us down in the hut.”

The small droid beeped in acknowledgment and rolled off in the direction of the hut.

The kids watched in alarm, peering around Finn as their mother groaned in pain. Before either could ask what was happening, they both heard a beeping noise. Looking behind them, they noticed a glowing green light in the darkness. It was coming from the metal sphere that had been left behind in the sand by the assassin droid.

“What is that thing?” Anni asked as they moved closer. 

Curious, Fin went over to examine the sphere, looking over its smooth metal surface which glowed a bright, eerie green.

Meanwhile, Finn was doing his best to calm down Rey, who was letting out painful gasps. “It’s alright Rey, it’s okay. We're gonna get you back into the hut. Just focus on your breathing.” He placed a hand on her shoulder as he took deep breathes with her “Just like this. Everything’s going to be alright-”

“I have done this before you know!” Rey snapped at him. “You don’t have to be so- AHH!”

Ben held her close, allowing her to squeeze his hand as he endured the pain with her. He then glanced up at Finn anxiously.

“I don’t think we can put this off. I know you're not really a doctor but _please_ tell me you have some experience with delivering babies.”

Finn’s face paled and he swallowed nervously before answer. “No, not…not exactly…I mean I've watched it a few times from afar but...look I’ll do my best okay? Just…please don’t hurt me if I happen to see or touch anything off-limits, I’m kinda working outside my comfort zone here.”

Ben nodded in understanding before turning to his wife. “Rey, I’m gonna help you stand now. Brace yourself.”

Rey nodded, leaning on Ben for support as he and Finn helped her to her feet.

Meanwhile, Fin was looking over the sphere when its outer shell suddenly retracted, revealing needle-like spikes.

 **“Int…n-niti…ating-g….”** IG-66's scrambled broken voice rang out as the entire device glowed a bright green **. “F-Fi…nal…resort…”**

Fin screamed and immediately ran away from the sphere. Anni watched in alarm as her brother rushed from the object and upon seeing the sharp metal spikes, ran away as well. Together they both raced toward the adults, shouting at the top of their lungs.

“Mommy! Daddy! Doctor Finn! The droid's alive!”

Finn had just finished helping Rey to her feet when he heard the twins yelling. He turned and noticed them running away from the blinking green object behind them, which was glowing brighter and brighter as the beeping noise grew faster.

Realizing what the object was, Finn raced toward the kids leaving Ben and Rey behind, looking confused.

“DUCK!” Finn shouted at them all.

As the twins dropped to the ground, Finn grabbed them each by the waist, quickly turned about, and knelt down, using his body to shield them.

Not a moment later, the device exploded.

* * *

Everything was deathly still for a moment.

Rey's eyes blinked open, as she found herself pressed up against Ben's chests, wrapped firmly within his arms.

“Ben?” Rey asked looking up at him in confusion. "What's happened?"

Ben said nothing, gradually loosening his grip around her. He pulled back, a pained look on his face as his body started trembling before he sank to his knees.

“Ben!” Rey exclaimed, grasping his shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

Ben let out a pained groan, as he leaned into her. Looking over his shoulders, Rey’s eyes widened in horror as she spotted at least five metal darts now sticking out of his back.

“Oh no. No, no, no, no!” Rey exclaimed as she moved behind Ben. “Hold on Ben! I’ll get these off you.”

Carefully as she could, Rey started pulling all the darts off of his back. Ben let out a painful cry each time, clenching his fist and bowing his head down.

“It’s okay, it’ll be okay,” Rey assured him, pulling out the last dart. “Hang on, I need to inspect your back. Sorry about this.”

Rey then started ripping apart the back of Ben’s shirt from the hole in his torn sleeve. Once she pulled it down enough to see his back, her face went pale in shock.

Each of the puncture wounds from where the darts hit him had turned black, with the surrounding skin becoming a sickly green. Even worse, the green was slowly spreading across his back.

Alarmed, Rey picked up one of the darts and examined it closely. Though there were no writings or symbols on it, Rey noticed bright green liquid leaking out of the tip, along with a strong acidic smell.

“Poison…” Rey said in realization.

Ben then let out a cry as he collapsed forward, his body starting to spasm from the poison. Thinking quickly, Rey reached over and began pulling Ben to his feet.

“I know it hurts but you have to get up and follow me inside.” Rey pleaded. “Quickly!”

Despite how much it pained him, Ben gradually got to his feet, leaning on Rey for support. Rey gritted her teeth as she tried supporting her husband’s large trembling body. Between her labor pains and his heavy form, her own body was in agony. Yet she continued to power through it as she escorted him down into the hut.

They had barely made it down the stairs when Ben started to violently shake and stumble. Once they got to the bottom step, Ben collapsed onto the floor.

“Ben!” Rey exclaimed as she kneeled beside him.

Ben coughed loudly, gagging and choking as he threw up bile while gasped for air.

Rey placed a hand on his back which caused him to flinch. Carefully she pulled back the rip in his shirt, noting his dart wounds had become bigger and turned his whole back a dark green, which was now spreading to his limbs and crawling up his neck.

Rey let out a nervous breath and pulled his shirt back down. “Just stay here. I’m going to get the medicine and then you’ll be okay.”

Rey got unsteadily to her feet, flinching as she felt another contraction come on. Holding her stomach, she gritted her teeth and ignored the pain as she made her way into her bedroom. Once there, she saw BB-8 readying the syringe he had used on her earlier.

“BB-8, thank goodness!” Rey said in relief. “Is the medicine ready yet?”

BB-8 beeped and nodded, the vial popping out of its compartment. Rey took it and snapped it into the device, which immediately powered up. She smiled in relief before a sharp pain hit her side, nearly knocking the wind out of her as she collapsed onto her knees. She nearly dropped the syringe, which BB-8 thankfully managed to catch. Putting it aside, the droid rushed to Rey’s side as she gasped out loud.

“Somethings wrong…” Rey uttered, her face screwed up in agony. “The baby’s in pain, I can feel it…it's like-”

As Rey put her hand on her side, she froze. Something sharp and metal grazed her hand, causing her to look down.

All the color drained from her face as she pulled out a metal dart that got stuck on her right side. Panic raced through her as she realized Ben hadn’t been able to block them all. And with her contractions masking her pain...

Dropping it, Rey lifted her shirt and saw a black mark on her side where she’d been hit, a sickly greenness now spread across her baby bump.

“No! No, no, no, no-AHH!!!” Rey screamed out as another painful contraction came on.

The droid then watched as Rey fell onto her hands and knees, holding her stomach and breathing heavily. Somehow, she managed to climb onto the bed, trying to get to her feet before another sharp pain hit her, causing her to yell out and double over onto the mattress.

From the other room, Ben lifted his head upon hearing Rey's screams. Although he could feel the life draining out of him, Ben turned over and got onto his elbows as he gradually crawled toward their bedroom.

Rey tried breathing in and out, feeling the baby’s presence fluctuate with every spasm. Rey herself started to shake all over, barely able to move as the sickly green poison spread across the rest of her body. She did manage to turn over once, getting briefly sick on the floor before collapsing back on the bed.

BB-8 hoisted himself onto the mattress, beeping at Rey in worry.

Rey glanced back at BB-8, tears running down her face. “BB-8 … save my baby… don’t let her-” She gasped, cradling her bump as she felt another spasm from the baby.

BB-8 let out a series of alarming beeps and whistles, then motioned for Rey to turn on her side, which she slowly did. The small droid then used its metal arm to lift the back of Rey’s shirt before grabbing the Bacta syringe and locking it into place.

“Just please, make sure you save enough for-AHHH!!”

Rey’s eyes widened in alarm as BB-8 stuck the syringe into her lower spine….and injected all the remaining Bacta into Rey.

As BB-8 removed the needle, Rey’s scream died in her throat as her eyes lit up, turning a bright glowing blue. Suddenly electricity erupted from her hands, knocking BB-8 off the bed much to his surprise. The electricity spread up and down Rey’s body, turning streaks of her brown hair a bright bluish-white.

As the electricity died down, Rey collapsed onto her back, her body now tingling with numbness all over as she stared blankly at the ceiling.

“B…Ben…”

His name dying on her lips, Rey’s eyes closed as her hand slid limply over the side of the bed.

From the doorway, Ben appeared, crawling on all fours. The veins on his face had turned a purplish-green, while his lips were now ghostly white. Ben looked upon the bed with glazed, bloodshot eyes, as the final image from his vision played out before him.

He watched as BB-8 tried frantically to wake Rey, who lay still on their bed as her hand slid off, crackling with electricity.

“Re-Rey…” Ben uttered as he forced himself toward the bed, despite the immense pain he was in.

BB-8 turned and beeped out loud in surprise and alarm. He grabbed the dropped syringe to use on Ben, only to realize too late that he’d used the whole batch on Rey, causing BB-8 to screeched in panic.

Ben, meanwhile, continued crawling toward Rey. His heart was beating harshly in his ears and his muscles screamed with pain as he quickly grew weaker. His vision started blurring and darkening as he reached out toward Rey’s hand.

“Hol…hold on…Rey…” Ben uttered softly, his body shaking violently. “Hold…on…”

Finally zapped of all strength, Ben collapsed to the ground, his fingers falling just short of touching hers.

Letting out his final breath, Ben slowly closed his eyes and went still, his hand still outstretched toward Rey’s.

BB-8 screeched out in alarm, rolling off the bed as he tried nudging Ben to wake up.

On the third nudge, BB-8 ended up rolling right through Ben. Confused, BB-8 realized Ben’s body was disappearing as it slowly faded in and out of existence. Looking up, BB-8 was further alarmed to see Rey’s body doing the same.

Screeching with panic, BB-8 rolled out of the bedroom and hut, leaving behind Rey and Ben’s fading bodies, their outstretched hands crackling with fading electricity.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and the twins must summon their inner strengths to save Rey and Ben before it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand we're back :P Yeah, I wasn't gonna make you guys suffer through another prolonged, dismal cliffhanger. Made doubly sure I had this one written and ready to go in advance. Didn't originally intend to have 2 downer chapters in a row but it was the only way to keep the length I wanted while suiting the narrative. This'll be the last chapter with that level of angst and intensity, promise. Also, prepare for a special guest star ;)
> 
> Also, a slight warning for limb disfigurement.

** Chapter 11 **

Finn braced himself the second he heard the explosion, holding the kids close as he used his body to shield them.

As soon as he spotted the glowing green sphere, Finn realized the serious error he had made. In all the chaos of fighting the IG unit, he had forgotten about the final contingency plan that came equipped with certain assassin droids: The Poison Dart Bomb.

Items like that typically weren’t installed on IG units, as the droids were usually efficient enough to take down targets on their own, either through weaponry or self-destructing. Very rarely did they use poison to subdue their targets as a last resort, and especially not in bomb form. Then again, this droid had been hunting the former Supreme Leader and infamous Jedi Killer, something Finn should’ve taken into account.

As Finn held onto the kids, he realized that despite the explosion, nothing was harming them. Confused, Finn turned his head and was shocked to see at least a dozen metal darts hovering in midair right behind him.

Looking down, he realized Anni’s arms were sticking out from under his, her fingers outstretched and trembling. She was peeking over his shoulder, her eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she used the force to keep away the darts.

Carefully Finn released his hold on the twins, so as not to break Anni's concentration. Fin blinked in surprise as he too noticed the floating darts and hurriedly backed away.

With her face now turning red, Anni finally released her hold. The darts dropping uselessly into the sand before Anni soon followed.

“Woah hang on. I gotcha.” Finn said, catching Anni in his arms as he held her up. 

Fin looked at her with concern. “You alright Anni?”

Anni blinked slowly, looking weary yet conscious. “Yeah…did I stop them all?”

“You sure did.” Finn nodded, smiling at her. “Looks like all that training paid off. You did great kid. Your dad's gonna be awfully proud of you.”

Anni smiled a bit before her face morphed into one of confusion and then terror. “Daddy!?”

Fin’s head perked up as he too suddenly looked terrified. “Mommy!”

Finn didn’t have to ask what was wrong before he was hit by a sudden wave of dizziness, causing him to sway in place. Raising a hand to his forehead, Finn felt a familiar rush of cold emptiness. It was the same feeling he got years back on Exegol when Rey had faced off against Palpatine. Only instead of feeling one light go out, he felt two…

Anni turned her head from side to side, looking around in a panic. “Where are they? Where’s mommy and daddy!?”

Suddenly there a loud screeching noise and the three of them turned to see BB-8 racing out of the hut in a panic.

“BB-8? What’s wrong? Where’s Rey and Ben?” Finn asked quickly.

The small droid let out a series of wild beeps and whistles as it explained what happened when Rey and Ben came down into the hut, including what had happened to Rey and what BB-8 had done afterward to help her.

Finn’s eyes widen in horror. “You did what!???”

Quick as a flash, Finn bolted toward the hut, leaving the twins behind looking confused before they raced to catch up with him.

* * *

“Rey!? Ben!?”

Almost nothing could prepare Finn for what he saw as he burst into their bedroom. Immediately he spotted the two unconscious Jedi, with Rey lying face-up on the bed, while Ben lay face-down on the floor, both of their bodies slowly fading in and out of existence.

“Oh no, no, no, no!” Finn frantically ran to Rey’s side. “Rey! Rey wake up! Wake up!”

Finn's hand immediately fazed through Rey's shoulder as he tried grabbing her. Seeing her once again remain unmoving and unresponsive, Finn’s breathing grew ragged as he shook his head in distress. “No...Rey, please. I just found you. Don’t leave me behind again…”

BB-8 then appeared, letting out a series of questioning beeps that got Finn’s attention.

“Where’s the Bacta vial? You said you used it on her. How much?”

BB-8 motioned to the discarded injector that lay on the floor. Finn picked it up, examining the empty vial before looking at the droid in outrage. “You used all of it!? BB-8, what were you thinking!? Do you know how dangerous that is? Did you even save any for Ben!?”

The BB unit let out a series of shameful beeps and whistles, trying to explain its logic of saving Rey before she and her baby succumbed to the poison.

Despite Finn’s surging anger, he couldn’t bring himself to get mad at the droid, since BB-8 had done what he could to save Rey and the baby.

Dropping the injector, Finn fell to his knees beside Rey, letting out a shuddered breath. He felt like a failure for letting her and her family down, and tried thinking of another way to save them. Even as he watched them fade, Finn couldn't accept they were gone. Mostly because they didn't 'feel' like they were. Though he sensed them disappearing before, he could still feel their presence wavering in and out, leaving him unable to tell whether they were still living or…

“Mommy! Daddy!”

Finn looked up to see the twins appear in the doorway. Both were equally shocked and horrified to see their parent’s unconscious bodies disappearing.

“Kids, stay back-”

“Daddy!?” Anni called out as she ran over to Ben. “Daddy, wake up!”

“Anni don’t!” Finn shouted.

Anni went to grab Ben’s shoulders, only for her hands to phase right through him. She looked confused and distraught, staring at her hands and back at her father. “Daddy? Daddy!!”

Ben did not answer or stir. Tears ran down Anni’s cheeks, her face now screwed up in anguish as she started breathing heavily. “No…No! DADDY!!!!!!!!!!”

Suddenly the glass items in Finn’s duffle bag shattered loudly, much to his confusion.

Anni fell to her knees, sobbing hard before letting out a high-pitched scream. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Suddenly the whole hut was shaking, causing the lights to flicker and crack. Finn looked around in a panic, hearing glass and other breakable items shattering throughout the hut. He also watched as Fin fell to his knees as well, bawling his eyes out over his parents, which caused cracks to form in the ceiling overhead.

Thinking fast before they brought the hut down on them, Finn got up and grabbed Anni, lifting her into his arms before quickly carrying her outside.

Fin did not attempt to move as he was left alone sobbing in the room with BB-8 and his parents. With Anni gone, the room had stopped shaking, although a few objects still wobbled from Fin’s own anguish.

BB-8 rolled up to the blonde boy, beeping sympathetically as it touched his arm with its robot limb.

Fin glanced up at the droid, tears still running heavily down his face. Slowly the boy got to his feet and walked over towards the bed, opposite of where his father lay.

Fin looked upon Rey, hiccupping and letting out whimpering sobs at the sight of his unconscious mother.

“M-mommy?” Fin spoke in a quivering voice. “Don’t go back to sleep again. Please, wake up?”

Rey gave no response. Fin glanced toward her round stomach and moved toward it. Somehow, it was the only part of her that remained solid. He placed his hand over her bump, feeling his sibling's presence underneath but no movements, like they were unconscious or sleeping.

Tears flowed as Finn turned toward his mother, desperate for her to show some sign of life. “Wake up. Mommy, WAKE UP!”

Still, Rey did not stir. Fin let out a loud sob as he sank to his knees, resting his head against the mattress as he cried loudly.

Just then Fin heard a clattering noise and looked down to see his mother’s lightsaber, which had fallen out of his pocket. Fin had managed to retrieve it after the IG unit was destroyed and upon seeing it now, got an idea of how to help his parents. 

Grabbing the lightsaber, Fin sat up and closed his eyes in concentration, squeezing the handle as he focused harder than he ever had in his life.

“Help me master Jedi’s.” Fin whispered out loud. “Help me save my mommy and daddy. Help me wake up my baby brother or sister. Don’t let them disappear. Please help us…”

Fin waited with bated breath for an answer. Any answer. When he heard nothing, he repeated the same phrase once more, this time adding extra pleas at the end.

“Please, please, PLEASE help us!” Fin said loudly, choking back a sob as he clenched the lightsaber tightly.

As more tears ran down his face, Fin felt a soft hand run their fingers through his blond curls.

Fin’s eyes snapped open at the unfamiliar touch and he turned quickly, letting out a small gasp of surprise.

There, standing over him in the middle of the room, bathed in an ethereal blue light, was a woman dressed in white robes. She wasn’t as tall as his parents but had a commanding presence about her, with hair pulled into matching side buns, and dark eyes that seemed very familiar to Fin. From across the room, BB-8 let out a scared whistle and half hid behind the bed, peeking out curiously.

The woman smiled down at the boy before speaking in a soft, low voice. “Hello there Fin. It’s wonderful to meet you.”

Fin blinked in surprise, "You...know my name?"

"Of course." The woman nodded. "I know everyone in your family."

Slowly he stood up, gazing upon the ghostly figure and wondering if what he was seeing was real or not. Fin remembered his mother talking about force ghosts but not about what they looked like. While he was certain the woman was human like him, he was also reminded of another species from his books.

“Are…are you an angel?” Fin asked, looking upon the ghostly woman.

The woman’s smile grew as she let out a soft chuckle. “No dear. But I have been called a princess.”

“Princess…” Fin repeated, knowing the word sounded familiar before his eyes lit up in realization. “You-you’re Leia! Mommy’s old master!”

“Indeed I am.” Leia nodded.

“Then you can help me!” Fin said, sounding hopeful. “Mommy and daddy are disappearing! And the baby won't wake up! Can you help save them?”

Leia smiled somberly. “I’m afraid I can’t help them directly my dear. Right now, they are stuck between this world and the afterlife. My powers can only help bring them over to my side. Only someone who is in the living world can bring them back to yours.”

Fin frowned, looking down in disappointment. Leia then knelt in front of the boy, tilting his chin up to look into her sparkling eyes.

“Lucky for them, they have a powerful force healer right here, ready to do just that.”

It took Fin a few moments to realize what she meant before he looked at her in confusion. “But…I’m not powerful. I’m not like mommy or daddy or Anni-”

“But you are Fin,” Leia assured him, her fingers brushing back his blond hair. “You Naberries are more powerful than you realize. Even now, I can sense your mother’s light burning brightly within you. And a little of your father’s as well. You can use their power to boost your own and help bring them back.”

“But how?” Fin asked, looking worried. “Every time I use my powers on someone, I get sick. What if I fall asleep like Anni? What if I can’t do it?”

Leia smiled reassuringly. “You will do it Fin. As for the sickness, I can help you with that.”

Leia then took Fin’s hand and placed her open palm on top of his. Fin watched in amazement as his hand glowed a soft pink. When she pulled back, the pink flower bud he had healed earlier was there, in full bloom and with its petals glowing brightly.

“This flower contains your life force. Keep it close to you, and it will keep you strong enough to help bring your parents back.”

Fin glanced appreciatively at his mother’s former master, grinning widely with his crooked smile. “Thanks for helping me, Master Leia. You’re the best force ghost princess I ever met.”

“Aww, you’re very welcome Fin.” Leia chuckled, looking upon the blonde boy fondly with motherly affection. Despite being a ghost, Fin could feel the warmth from her hand as she placed it against his cheek, caressing it gently as she gazed upon him.

“My, you look so much like your father at that age. You even have his ears. Poor thing.” She mused before her eyes displayed a hint of sadness. “When you see him again, give him my best, will you?”

Though not quite sure what she meant, Fin nodded before asking one final question. “So, what do I do now?”

Leia leaned forward and looked at him intently. “Help them, Finlay Naberrie Skywalker. You’re their only hope.”

With that, Leia disappeared, leaving behind no trace except for the pink flower that sat in Fin’s palm. When Fin looked down at it, he noticed that his hands were longer pale, and he felt more energized and alert than usual. BB-8 came rolling out of his hiding spot, beeping curiously at the boy.

Suddenly Fin sensed a blip in the force. It was tiny but Fin knew immediately where it was coming from. He then turned toward his mother, who was still fading, and reached his hand toward her. Carefully, he placed his hand over her baby bump and concentrated for a moment. The flower glowed in his hand, pushing back the sickness Fin initially felt and giving him a surge of energy. After a few seconds, Fin’s face lit up with joy once he felt his baby sibling moving underneath. "I did it BB-8!"

BB-8 beeped and whistled in amazement as Fin leaned close to Rey's stomach.

“Welcome back baby. Don’t be scared. I’m gonna bring mommy and daddy back too, you'll see. It’ll all be okay.” Fin said optimistically.

He then felt a hard nudge under his hand from the baby, causing him to giggle. “Okay, okay. We’ll save mommy and daddy together.”

* * *

Outside the hut, Finn finally put Anni down once they were a respectable distance away. All the scrap piles were still on fire, lighting up the darkness and showcasing the destruction caused by the assassin droid.

Anni was still crying hard, unable to speak from all the sobbing. Finn knelt before her, wincing from his injured leg, as he tried calming her down.

“Anni? Anni, it’s okay. It’s alright.” Finn assured her. “Let’s just calm down. I know things look bad right now, but it’ll be okay you’ll see. Just take some deep calming breaths and then we’ll-”

Finn then stopped talking, as his throat suddenly felt tight. He tried swallowing but the pressure on his throat grew stronger until he was struggling for air.

He looked over at Anni, who was no longer sobbing. She glared at the ground, tears dripping from her face as her hair started floating on its own.

"Anni-" Finn choked out.

“You said you’d keep daddy safe,” Anni said in a stern yet trembling voice. “You-you promised he wouldn’t get hurt! You lied!”

As she looked up, Finn was shocked to see her angry hazel eyes were turning a sickly yellow. Even worse, he could sense the darkness from before growing stronger within her.

“Anni, sweetheart, I know you’re upset. But this isn’t going to help-”

Anni then lifted her hand at Finn, who felt a vice-like grip tighten around his throat. His hands clawed at his throat, as he began choking from the lack of air.

“You don’t call me that!” Anni shouted angrily. “Only my daddy calls me that! And now he’s gone! All because of you!”

She then clenched her fist, causing Finn to gasp out loud and collapse on his side as he grew increasingly lightheaded. Gritting her teeth angrily, Anni glared down at Finn, her yellow eyes watching as he slowly suffocated.

Finn’s eyes darted around in panic. He had to find a way to snap her out of this, less he becomes Anni’s first victim and the first step in her descent toward the dark side. Part of him considered knocking her out or using the force to subdue her, all of which seemed harsh for dealing with a four-year-old, even if she was choking him at the moment.

As Finn glanced up at Anni, he noticed tears were still running down her face and he could sense the fear and anguish radiating off her in droves. It was then he remembered something Ben had said earlier.

_“I’d never want her thinking I would ever become afraid of her.”_

It was then that Finn decided to take a risk. Despite his growing dizziness, Finn managed to sit up and reached toward Anni. She pulled back, tightening her hold on him until he lurched forward again, managing to place his fingers against her forehead.

Immediately, Finn felt her hold on him release as he took in a deep breath. Looking around, he realized he was now in Anni’s mind. Unlike with Ben and Rey, there was no room full of holo-screens showing various memories at once. Instead, he found himself transported into each memory as they played out one by one. Anni, as a dark-haired toddler, taking her first steps toward Ben’s outstretched arms. Anni giggling as she rode upon Ben’s shoulders. Ben showing Anni how to levitate a ball and make it fly around the room. Anni showing off to Ben as she levitated a ball, a chair, and then an entire ship engine in midair, much to his astonishment. Anni sparing with Fin while their parents watched and instructed them individually. There was even an amusing memory where Rey was attempting to brush back Anni’s hair and tie it into a bun similar to her own. Instead, Anni broke free of Rey’s grip and ran over to Ben, who stood in front of a mirror brushing his own hair. She quickly pulled out the bun and ruffling up her hair, trying to imitate her dad’s look, much to Ben’s amusement and Rey’s irritation.

Finn then pulled himself out of her mind, removing his hand from Anni. The dark-haired girl was breathing heavily, squeezing her eyes shut as tears continued to leak through them.

Sensing her hurt and confusion, Finn carefully pulled her into a hug, holding her close until she relaxed against him. 

Anni then hugged him back tightly, now crying openly onto Finn’s shoulder while he comforted her. "I'm s-sorry..."

"It's okay. I understand." Finn said, rubbing her back. “You really love your daddy, don’t you?”

Anni nodded, sniffling softly before pulling away. Finn sighed in relief to see her eyes had returned to normal as she wiped away her tears. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Doctor Finn. I just...I...”

"I told you, it's okay. I get it. You're scared and angry right now. And rightfully so, given I’m the one who broke my promise to you." Finn said in a calm tone. "But don’t worry. Cause I’m the one who’s also going to fix it.”

He then stood up and offered Anni his hand, which she took much to her bewilderment. “But how?”

“I’m not sure yet, but I’ll figure out a way. We both will.” Finn said with confidence. “Now let’s go save your parents.”

* * *

Once Finn and Anni returned to the hut and reentered the bedroom, they were shocked at what they saw.

"Fin!?" Anni exclaimed.

Fin was kneeling on the bed beside Rey, whose body had resolidified as Fin had one hand on her forehead and the other on her chest. Laying on Rey’s stomach, was a small, glowing pink flower.

“Fin, what’s going on?” Finn asked in surprise.

“How are you doing that?” Anni asked in astonishment.

Fin didn’t respond, his eyes closed as he seemed to be concentrating. BB-8 rolled over to Finn, explaining what had happened with Leia's sudden appearance.

Finn's eyebrows rose in surprise at the news. "Wow...guess he finally did it."

Finn walked over, standing behind the boy as he looked upon Rey. Aside from being unconscious and her hair now streaked with white, she looked like her normal self with no sign of being poisoned or injured. He could feel her familiar presence, along with the baby's, returning. Yet, something felt off. Almost like her essence was…pulling away?

Fin gritted his teeth, letting out a grunt as his face scrunched up in concentration, causing Finn concern.

“Hey, Fin buddy talk to me,” Finn said leaning towards him. “What’s going on?”

“It’s mommy…” Fin said, his voice strained. “Trying…to bring her back…but she won’t let me.”

“Won’t let you?” Finn asked in confusion.

“Doctor Finn look!”

Anni was standing near Ben, pointing toward the electricity that crackled between his outstretched hand and Rey’s. Finn went over to examine them and was surprised to see the tips of Ben’s fingers were starting to solidify. However, while Rey’s presence had returned, Ben’s remained muted. Yet every time her force essence surged, Ben’s would emerge as a small blip. Meaning…

“He’s still alive…they’re both alive!” Finn said in realization. “She’s trying to bring him back with her.”

Fin let out a pained grunt behind them. Anni and Finn turned to watch as Fin leaned over, coughing violently. When he sat up, they were shocked to see how terrible the young boy looked. Not only had the color drained from his hands and face, but his veins were now visibly showing through his skin, almost like the life was being sucked out of him. The pink flower glowed brightly next to him, giving the boy back some of his life force, but he still looked worse for the ware.

Realizing the boy was straining himself, Finn raced back over to him. “Fin buddy, let go! This is too much for you. You gotta stop before you hurt yourself.”

“I gotta save mommy and daddy…” Fin uttered, not moving his hands from Rey.

“Fin please-” Anni pleaded.

“I GOTTA SAVE MOMMY AND DADDY!!” Fin screamed out as tears ran down his cheeks.

Finn and Anni looked between themselves, at a loss for what to do. As Finn watched the boy stubbornly refuse to give up, he decided there was only one thing to do.

“Alright then.” He then sat behind Fin and placed his hands on both sides of his head. “You help your parents. And I’ll help you. I’ve never done this before but…I’m gonna give it all I got until you get them back.”

Fin opened his eyes, which were now bloodshot, and sniffled softly before nodding his head in gratitude. Letting out a calming breath, Fin went back to concentrating on Rey while Finn concentrated on him, slowly giving the boy his life force. Anni watched in amazement as her brother’s face grew less pale and sickly looking. Finn, meanwhile, felt a wave of fatigue hit him hard. Blinking several times, Finn shook the sleepiness from his head and steadied himself, focusing on keeping the boy alive and alert.

While doing so, Finn placed his fingers against Fin's temple and felt himself get pulled into the boy’s memories. Like Anni's, they each played out one by one and were all pleasant memories, mostly of Fin spending time with his mother. He watched Rey rocking little toddler Fin to sleep after a nightmare. Fin racing Rey across the yard, both jumping and climbing over the scrap heaps like an obstacle course. Rey showing Fin and Anni how to fight with her staff, and even how to do a fancy jumping move with it. Rey healing a cut on Fin’s knee and kissing it afterward. Fin and Anni sitting next to Rey as she read them books containing pictures of plants, animals, and different species. One book she showed him in particular, showcased a familiar planet along with a picture of a garden and a mansion covered with bright, colorful flowers.

Finn opened his eyes, looking upon the boy fondly. Even though Finn had missed out on years he could’ve spent with Rey, he was content in the knowledge that there had been at least one Fin around keeping her happy.

While the two worked together to help Rey, Anni noticed the electricity between Rey and Ben increasing, as more of Ben’s hand slowly became solid.

“You’re doing it!” Anni said excitedly, looking back at the two. “Daddy’s coming back! Keep going!”

“I’m…trying…” Fin grunted out loud. “He’s… too far…away.”

Anni watched anxiously before turning back to Ben, his hand only half solidifying but still faded. Thinking quickly to herself, Anni looked at her mom’s outstretched hand and the electricity surrounding it. Without thinking about it, Anni reached out and grabbed Rey’s hand.

* * *

A bright flash overtook Anni’s vision. When she opened her eyes, she was floating somewhere unfamiliar and scary. Darkness surrounded her, along with swirling ethereal blue energy. Glancing upwards, she saw a crystal-clear night sky with hundreds of stars. Looking down below, she saw a deep dark swirling pit. It reminded Anni of a picture in a book Rey showed them, of a planet covered with giant bodies of deep, dark water called ‘oceans’.

_“Ben…”_

Anni looked up toward her mom and was surprised to see her awake. Rey was staring right through Anni as if she weren’t even there. Even more bizarrely, the only bright source of light was coming from Rey herself. Or more specifically, her baby bump, which glowed a bright blue. From behind her, a bright blue line stretched upward toward the starry sky, ending at a ghostly outline of Fin, who seemed to be tethered to her and was trying to pull her back with the other Finn's help.

Although Anni was still holding on to her, Rey’s hand remain outstretched toward the pit below her.

 _“Ben…”_ Rey uttered again, her voice echoey and somewhat muted.

Anni looked behind her and was shocked to see her father, barely visible down below in the darkness. Ben's eyes were closed, his limbs hovering about as he seemed to be sinking into the deep, dark pit.

 _“Daddy!”_ Anni called out, her voice also echoey and muted.

Holding on tightly to Rey, Anni raised her other hand and summoned up all her force power, thrusting her hand towards Ben. Both Anni and Rey began hovering forward, slowly but surely as they descended into the darkness below.

Ben meanwhile, floated about lifelessly, not bothering to fight against the invisible force that was dragging him further down. He was barely conscious, hardly able to breathe. He felt as if he were drowning in his own literal darkness. A fitting punishment, considering all the suffering he’d caused and all the horrible acts he committed as Kylo Ren. How ironic it was to be swallowed up by the very thing he’d been trying to immerse himself in for years.

Just then a voice rang out. Ben’s eyes twitched. It sounded familiar yet was too far away to hear.

He then heard it again, only closer this time. With much effort, Ben peering upward at the only source of light he could see. A glowing, blue dot hovered above, like a star shining brightly against the night sky. Slowly it became bigger as the voice grew closer.

_“Ben…”_

_“R…Rey?”_ Ben uttered, his voice low and weak.

Suddenly he saw a figure floating towards him that was attached to the blue light. The closer it got, the clearer Ben was able to see their face. At first, he thought it was Rey until he noticed her hair was much darker and her face younger, looking at him with determination and fear.

_“Daddy!”_

Ben’s eyes snapped open as his daughter’s voice rang in his ears. Looking upward, he finally saw Anni floating above him, holding Rey’s hand as she hovered behind her.

 _“I’m coming daddy!”_ Anni called out as she got closer and closer.

Just as they neared the dark pit, Anni felt herself stop. Rey was being held back, the light inside her glowing brightly against the darkness as if being repelled by it. Anni tried pushing forward but Rey wouldn’t budge, and she was too afraid of letting go of her mother’s hand to go further.

Looking down at Ben, she raised her hand towards him. " _Reach for me, Daddy!”_

With a tremendous amount of effort, Ben lifted his arm and raised his injured hand toward Anni.

The darkness started swirling around them, pulling Ben down further and pushing Anni and Rey away. Anni wouldn’t be deterred and floated back down as far as she could go, trying again to reach her father. Ben tried fighting back against the darkness as well, but his body was being weighed down to the point where it was becoming painful to move.

 _“I can’t…get to him!”_ Anni whimpered, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

From behind, Rey seemed to briefly snap out of her trance. Seeing Anni holding her hand while reaching toward Ben’s, Rey closed her eyes and let out a slow breath.

Suddenly electricity surged down her arm and into her daughter’s hand. Anni looked back in alarm and watched as the electricity flowed from Rey’s hand into her own, surging down her arm and into the other, until her free hand now crackled with electrical power.

Looking back toward Ben, Anni focused on the darkness around him, aiming her outstretched hand. She then thrust her hand forward, sending bolts of lightning out her fingers, which struck everything surrounding Ben.

Suddenly Ben felt a weight lift off his chest, allowing him to breathe. He looked around as the darkness seemed to have temporarily dispersed, setting him free. Glancing upward, Anni’s electrified hand continued to reach toward him.

 _“Take my hand!”_ She called out.

Ben did just that and felt himself floating upward, closer, and closer to his wife and daughter. He was starting to close in when the darkness regathered around him, pulling him back once more.

 _“Daddy!”_ Anni screamed out as she used the force to pull him back toward her.

 _"BEN!"_ Rey cried out as she too used the force.

Ben flinched as he felt himself being pulled in two different directions, both forces threatening to tear him apart.

Seeing the look of pain on his face, Anni closed her eyes and concentrated as her hand lit up with electricity. A burst of lightning shot forward, splitting into smaller surges, like a hand that was reaching out. The lighting snagged onto Ben’s outstretch injured hand and pulled him firmly out of the darkness.

Ben felt himself fly upward, a look of relief on his face as he flew toward Rey and Anni, finally wrapped his hand firmly around hers.

* * *

When Anni opened her eyes again, she was back in the hut by Rey’s bedside. Looking down, she was relieved to see she was holding both Rey and Ben’s hands in her own. Carefully she pulled their hands closer together until their palms were touching one another’s. Once that happened, Ben’s hand and the rest of his body slowly solidified as electricity flowed up and down their arms, including Anni’s.

BB-8 watched in alarm as the electricity crackled around them, knocking objects over and causing the lights to flicker from the surges.

“I got them!” Anni called out to the Finn’s.

Both were now looking utterly strained and exhausted as they struggled to bring the two back. Even the flower containing Fin's life force had started shriveling up, its energy almost depleted. Finn looked just as worn and pale, his body trembling as he continued to give Fin his life force.

“Can’t…hold on…much longer…” Fin grunted, now looking as pale as he did before while swaying in place. Finn had moved a hand to the boy’s shoulder, gripping it tightly to prevent him from falling over while trying not to faint himself.

Anni glanced at her brother’s weakened state, realizing he’d need help if he was going to bring their mom and dad back. Keeping one hand clenched over her parents, Anni stretched her other hand toward her brother. “Fin!”

Fin looked up at Anni, who looked insistent on him taking her hand. “Together!”

Pausing for a moment, Fin nodded and reached toward his sister, grabbing her hand with his own. “Together.”

Finn watched as the two siblings joined hands, causing Rey and Ben’s bodies to start glowing. Wanting to help them, he reached over and placed his hand on top of theirs.

“Together!”

Suddenly their bodies all became brighter and brighter as the three held on together, ready to use their combined force powers.

“Everyone ready? On three!” Finn called out.

Anni and Fin nodded as they braced themselves.

“One…two…three!”

All three closed their eyes and concentrated hard. Suddenly Fin let out a scream as light erupted out of his eyes and mouth, shining brightly as his inner light burst through.

BB-8 watched in alarm and backed away as the light surged through their hands, traveling up their bodies and into Rey and Ben, bathing everyone in a bright light that engulfed the entire room.

* * *

When the light finally died down, Finn blinked his eyes open slowly, unsure of what had just happened. His hand was still clenched firmly around the twins, who were also slowly opening their eyes.

When they pulled apart and looked at each other, they were surprised to find all their injuries had healed. The cut on Anni's cheek was gone, Finn's leg wound had completely healed, and Fin's skin looked healthier than it had before.

"Wha-what happened?”

They all turned toward Rey as she blearily opened her eyes. 

An immense look of relief crossed Finn's face. "Rey!" 

“MOMMY!” Fin yelled as he threw his arms around Rey, who looked surprised before immediately hugging him back.

“Oh, Fin darling, you saved us!” Rey said as she peppered his face with kisses. “I’m so proud of you, my sweet boy!”

From the ground, Ben let out a loud groan as he got unsteadily onto his hands and knees.

“DADDY!” Anni yelled out as she jumped off the bed and tackle-hugged her father.

Ben fell back, blinking in confusion before realizing where he was. Immediately he pulled Anni into a tight hug, kissing her cheek all over, “Oh Anni! Thank you, sweetheart, thank you!”

“Ben!?”

Ben looked up and soon as he spotted Rey, released Anni and crawled onto the bed. Fin managed to back away as Ben grasped Rey’s face and kissed her deeply.

“Yeck!” Fin said, sticking his tongue out in disgust.

“Woah.” Finn's eyebrows shot up as he averted his uncomfortable gaze from the couple. “Okay guys, maybe take it down a notch-”

“I thought I lost you again…” Ben whispered against her lips.

“I thought I lost you…” Rey whispered back as Ben quickly recaptured her lips, not paying attention to everyone around them until Anni tugged on Ben's shirt.

“Eww, mommy, daddy! Stop being gross!” Anni said as she crawled back on the bed.

Rey and Ben finally pulled apart, grinning at each other. Rey turned her attention to Anni, stroking her dark hair and face in appreciation. “Thank you, darling, for helping to get me and your daddy out that place. You’ve been so strong and so brave through all this, more than I ever thought possible. I'm so proud of you.”

“Does that mean you’ll teach me to use lightning like you mommy?” Anni asked in a hopeful tone. "Pretty please? I promise I'll be good forever."

Rey’s paused for a moment before Ben quickly answered.

“Sweetheart, I really don’t think mommy wants you learning-”

“Yes.”

Ben looked at Rey in surprise while Anni’s face lit up in excitement. “Really??”

“I believe you rightfully earned it, given how you used the power I lent you back there,” Rey said smiling at her daughter. "As long as you live up to your promise to be good and use your powers responsibly, then I will teach you all I know." 

Anni nodded, smiling brightly before hugging her mother.

“Does that mean I get to learn it too?” Fin asked hopefully.

“Only if you keep that focus from earlier,” Ben said, smiling at his son and ruffling his hair before kissing the top of his head. “That was incredible what you did Fin. Always knew you had it in you. I’m so very proud of you son.”

Fin grinned widely, hugging his dad tight.

Finn smiled warmly as BB-8 joined his side, the two watching as the family formed a group hug. Ben and Rey held onto their children and each other tightly, never looking more grateful to be together at that moment.

Suddenly, their happy reunion was interrupted by a loud cry.

A baby’s cry.

The family pulled apart, looking around in confusion. Finn was the first to notice that Rey’s baby bump was moving around a lot. Rey noticed as well and lifted back her tunic.

There, laying on Rey’s now flat stomach, was a tiny baby girl, her body wrinkly and red as she screamed at the top of her lungs, all while her tiny limbs flailed about.

Everyone looked at the newborn baby with shock and confusion, all except Fin who seemed pleasantly surprised.

“Ohhhhh, so THAT'S how babies are born!” He said, smiling at the realization.

“Ben.” Rey turned to her husband who nodded and raced out of the room.

Carefully, Finn picked up the crying baby, allowing Rey to sit up and stroke her little face. “Shh, shh, it’s okay little one, it’s okay. Mommy’s here. Your whole family is here for you.”

"How is this possible?" Finn asked, staring at the baby in his hands. "I know the force works in mysterious ways but...this is really something."

"I'm surprised too. But not complaining." Rey said as she gazed upon her new baby. "I'm just grateful she's here and in one piece."

“No, she isn't,” Anni said, pointing at the baby’s left hand. "Look at her hand mommy. Her fingers are missing."

Finn and Rey looked at it as well, their eyes widening with surprise and alarm. The infant girl’s entire hand was completely black, all the way up to her wrist. Like Anni had said, the baby's pointer, middle finger, and thumb were indeed missing, looking as if they had shriveled and fallen off. Only her ring finger and pinky remained intact.

“That must be where the dart struck me,” Rey said in realization. “Somehow, the poison only affected her hand.”

“Seems like it.” Finn nodded. “The Bacta injection must've stopped the spread and kept it all contained in her hand. Strange though, poison doesn’t usually distort limbs like that, or disintegrates them that quickly. Maybe it was already happening while she was growing?”

Rey barely had time to process this information when Ben came back in, holding a soft blue blanket. He spread it out on the bed as Finn carefully laid the crying baby on top. Ben paused as he spotted the infant’s hand. He glanced up at Rey in alarm, sharing her look of concern, but said nothing at her silent behest. Instead, he focused on covering the baby up, swaddling her tightly within the blanket. 

Once done, Ben carefully picked the newborn up, her cries now softening into whimpers as she snuggled into his arms.

As Ben gazed down at the baby, Finn looked over his shoulder, smiling at them both in relief. “Congrats on your new daughter. She’s beautiful.”

“Yes…yes she is,” Ben said, staring down at the infant in disbelief. 

To his amazement, his new child turned out exactly as he hoped she would. Soft brown hair, round cheeks, button nose, and to his immense relief, small ears. Except for her eyes, which were still firmly shut, his new daughter was the spitting image of Rey. The only trace of himself he could see was a tiny beauty mark on the corner of her right cheek. 

Watching his baby snuggle and cooing in his arms, Ben’s heart burst with love as his eyes became misty.

“Hello there, starlight.” He whispered, bringing her face close to his. “I’m your daddy. I’m glad to finally meet you.” Ben then pressed a kiss to her forehead.

He then looked over at Finn, a tear running down his cheek. “Thank you.”

Finn nodded and clapped a hand on his shoulder in appreciation.

“Can I hold my baby now?” Rey asked, smiling as she watched the two share a moment.

Both men looked at her, suddenly feeling embarrassed. Carefully Ben handed the baby to Rey, who held her close and sat back against the bed. “Oh, hello there my darling little one. You gave me quite a fright you know. I'm so glad you're here with us right now.”

The baby squirmed and gurgled as the twins crawled over to their mom’s side, looking down at their new sibling with fascination.

“Anni, Finn, meet your new baby sister,” Rey said, holding the baby so they could see her properly.

“Yay, I get a sister!” Anni cheered, bouncing up and down excitedly.

“Yeah, well I have two sisters now!” Fin said mockingly. “Beat that!”

“That’s cheating, you’ll always have more sisters than me!” Anni protested.

“Children, not so loud,” Rey said, caressing the baby's head. “Your sister's not used to all the excitement just yet.”

As the baby squirmed in discomfort, looking like it was going to cry again, Ben immediately bolted out of the room. He quickly returned with a small rubbery device, carefully placing it in the baby’s mouth. Immediately the baby latched onto it, calming down as it sucked on the squishy rubber contently.

Finn looked at Ben in astonishment. “How’d you know?”

“Parental instinct,” Ben explained, looking somewhat proud of himself. “Comes in handy, especially when raising twins.”

“Aww look at her,” Anni said as she watched the baby. “She’s so small and red and squishy looking.”

“I know. She looks like you two when you were born.” Rey said affectionately.

“Well, I think she looks like a princess.” Fin declared.

Rey laughed. “A princess? What makes you say that Fin?”

“Cause she looks just like you mommy.” Fin said, earning an affectionate kiss from Rey. “And cause she also looks like Master Leia.”

At that, both Rey and Ben looked up at the boy in bewilderment. Ben especially looked unnerved, considering they didn't keep any holo-photos around the hut, especially of his mother.

“Fin,” Ben spoke carefully. “How do you know what Master Leia looks like?”

“Cause I saw her daddy.” Fin said cheerfully. “She came to me as a ghost. She helped me save all of you.”

Rey and Ben exchanged looks, amazed at the new information.

“Also…” Fin reached behind him, taking the wilted, shriveled flower from the bedside and handing it to Ben. “She told me to ‘give you her best’. This is what she meant right?”

Ben took the flower, feeling speechless.

Finn could tell Ben was feeling overwhelmed by this revelation and quickly changed the subject. “So…what are you gonna name the little 'princess' then?”

“I say we name her Squish Face,” Anni said, squeezing the baby’s cheek slightly. “Cause her face is so squishable.”

Rey chuckled as she pulled Anni’s hand away from the baby’s face. “Now darling, we can call her something better than that.”

“What name did you pick daddy?” Fin asked.

Ben snapped out of thought, pausing for a moment before answering. “That’s…not my place to choose son. Your mom and I agreed, that since I chose the name of our first girl,” He glanced at Anni who smiled. “It’s only fair that she chooses the name of our second.”

“Good idea. So what name did you pick mommy?” Fin asked.

Rey smiled, glancing at Ben as she caught his eye. “Honestly, there’s only one name I ever really considered for a girl. Funny that her namesake should be brought up now beforehand. But I've wanted to honor her in some way since she passed. Feel that it's only appropriate, given all that's happened…if that’s alright with you Ben.”

Ben’s breathing hitched for a moment. “You want to name her after my- after your master?”

Finn smiled. “Leia Naberrie does have a nice ring to it.”

Ben swallowed. “Perhaps…but maybe…a variation on the name? Like what we did with Anni and Fin? Just so it’s a little less…confusing.”

Seeing his nervousness, Rey conceded and nodded in agreement. “Very well. What version should we use?”

“How about Lei-Lei?” Fin suggested, glancing down at his sister. “She looks like a Lei-Lei to me.”

“Lei-Lei is a cute name.” Rey smiled while stroking her daughter’s cheek. “But maybe better for a nickname. She’ll need something a little more…distinguished…more fitting for a princess…or a general.”

After a pause, Finn spoke up. “What about…Leihana?”

Ben turned toward him in surprise. “What’d you say?”

“Leihana,” Finn repeated. “It means ‘One who refuses’”

Rey’s eyes misted up as her smile grew. “I think that’s perfect. Ben?”

At first, Finn felt nervous, seeing the look on Ben’s face. Maybe his suggestion was too on the nose or would bring back bad memories. Luckily, Ben seemed more contemplative than upset as he thought it over.

“One who refuses…” Ben repeated, a small smirk on his lips. “If that’s not a fitting name for someone in my family, I don’t know what is.”

Finn let out a sigh of relief. “My thoughts exactly.”

“Then it’s settled,” Rey said, sitting up as she held the baby. “Everyone…say hello to Leihana Naberrie Skywalker.”

“Hi, Leihana.” Fin said as he kissed her cheek. “I’m still gonna call you Lei-Lei though.”

“Yeah well, I still think squish face is better,” Anni said, kissing her sister’s other cheek.

Ben then leaned over, kissing Leihana’s forehead affectionately. “Welcome to the family starlight.”

Rey glanced at him curiously. “Where did that name come from?”

Ben smiled bashfully. “When I was trapped in the darkness…the only light I was able to see was this starlike glow in the distance. I could sense you and Anni there, but also her. It was like, she was bringing you back to me, as always.”

Rey smiled as Ben kissed her sweetly. She then looked over at Finn, gesturing him forward.

“Come now…she has to meet the whole family,” Rey said, smiling at him.

Finn’s heart leaped with joy as he made his way over. Looking upon the tiny baby, Finn stroked her soft, brown hair affectionately. “Hey there, kiddo. Welcome to the galaxy. Hope you’re up for a life of excitement and danger, cause you come from a family that has a knack for running headfirst into it.”

Everyone laughed at that remark. BB-8 whistled at his side, prompting Finn to lift him onto the bed. The droid examined the baby, touching her cheek briefly with its metal arm as it beeped and shook happily in approval.

“Look's like someone has a new favorite human.” Finn mused. “Hopefully Poe won’t get jealous.”

They all smiled, gathering around their newest addition, grateful that they were all there to celebrate her arrival together.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn and the family take a breather following the droid battle, during which discoveries are made and a plan is formed to get them off the planet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Turkey Day y'all! Hope you all stay safe and enjoy some delicious food :) Got a slightly longer chapter for ya, a bit on the dialog-heavy side, but contains both fluff and angst. Just some feel-good family stuff after the last couple of action-packed chapters. Enjoy!

** Chapter 12  **

It was late into the night by the time Finn came back inside the hut.

Once the excitement from earlier had died down, Finn decided to give the family some alone time to bond with the new baby. He and BB-8 worked together to clean up all the broken items around the hut, giving it a quick clean over before heading out into the yard.

After surveying the damage from the droid battle and extinguishing the flames still burning in the scrap piles, they started cleaning up all the debris in the yard. Gradually, they manage to locate every piece of the destroyed assassin droid, including the poison darts, and tossed them into a hole they dug in the sand. Finn would have to think of a way to dispose of the body later so no one else could trace it or accidentally stumble upon it.

Once Finn began to tire and said good night to BB-8, who continued cleaning on his own, he made a quick stop in the fresher before entering Rey and Ben’s bedroom. He was pleased to find Rey awake, sitting on the bed cuddling with Anni and Fin, who were both huddled at her sides, fast asleep. Rey glanced up and smiled as Finn approached her.

“Finally tuckered out, are they?” Finn asked, sitting at the end of the bed.

“Indeed. It’s been a busy day for them and they’re far past their bedtime.” Rey smiled as she gently stroked their heads. “Surprised they didn’t pass out sooner, given how much energy they used fighting.”

“And what about you?” Finn asked. “I mean you did kinda, sorta, give birth earlier.”

Rey scoffed. “Please. That was nothing compared to when I had the twins. Besides, I’ve had more than enough rest. The way I’m feeling right now, I could stay awake for the next several weeks. Which is probably what I’ll be doing anyway now that the baby is here.”

Finn smirked before glancing around. “So where is the little princess?”

“Ben’s feeding her,” Rey explained. “I’d have done it myself but these two have been attached at my hips ever since I woke up. Could barely nurse her properly the first time since they didn’t want to leave the room or even the bed. And they refuse to sleep in their own beds as well. Not that I blame them, given all they’ve gone through.”

“Me neither. They’re quite the little troopers though.” Finn mused. “I just hope what happened today won’t affect them negatively in the future.”

Rey glanced sadly at them. “I worry about that too. But they’re both resilient kids. Hopefully, when they’re older, this’ll be nothing more than a bad dream to them. Unlike what I went through in my childhood, at least this experience had a happier ending.”

Finn smiled, watching as Rey acted tenderly with her children. She then looked up at him fondly. “They were talking about you a lot, you know. Told me everything that happened while I was asleep. How you trained with them, protected them, saved them and Ben from the droid. How you carried me around when they were trying to escape and fought alongside Ben with my lightsaber.” 

"Wow, they told you all that?" Finn asked in surprise, suddenly feeling bashful. "Hope that was okay I used your weapon. Didn't have much choice at the time."

"Of course it was." Rey nodded, now looking all glassy-eyed. “I cannot thank you enough for all you’ve done Finn. You’re truly the most wonderful friend I’ve could ever ask for.”

Finn smiled. “Hey come on. You know I’d do anything for you, Rey. I’m just glad I found you is all, and that you allowed me to be part of your life again. Meeting your family, getting to know them, and even fighting alongside them, feels like an added bonus. It’s certainly been a…life-changing experience for me.”

“I'd imagine, ” Rey nodded. "I'm just sorry it took five years to happen."

Finn smiled with understanding before asking a question that'd been on his mind. “What’s it like?”

“What do you mean?” Rey asked curiously.

“Being married, having kids…just having a family in general.” Finn elaborated. “I’ve never really given it serious thought before but…watching you and Ben together, being a couple, being parents…suddenly it feels like I’ve been missing out on far more than just your company these past five years.”

Rey gave him a sympathetic look. “Honestly, for me...it’s like being inside a dream that I still can’t believe is real. I’ve spent my whole life wanting a family. All those years I spent waiting on Jakku for my parents to return; feeling isolated, unloved, and unwanted...after a while, it started to feel more like a pipedream instead of a possibility. Now that I have Ben and my children, it’s like I’ve forgotten I was ever alone. I know not everyone feels this way, but for me...it’s like I’ve finally become whole. I’ve never felt so loved, so needed, so cherished in all my life. Of course, that's not to say it's always been easy. There’s been plenty of times where I’ve wanted to rip out my hair in frustration or was filled with self-doubt about whether I was a good enough wife and mother…but those moments are fleeting. Everything always balanced out in the end. I’ve learned to appreciate both the good and the bad times because at least I knew I was never alone in them.”

“That does sound really nice actually,” Finn said, before looking uncertain. “But, don’t you miss parts of your old life, though? Fighting in the Resistance, traveling the galaxy, just being able to come and go as you please? I mean, does raising a family really compare to all that?”

Rey chuckled. “I will admit I do miss it sometimes, and all the beings I fought alongside during those years. Still, as much as I’ve enjoyed fighting and helping to save the galaxy, I’ve enjoyed these last five years just being with Ben and the kids even more. Knowing I can bring a smile to my children’s faces or console Ben when he’s feeling down on himself feels so much more rewarding." Rey smiled to herself. "Besides, having a family doesn't mean giving everything up from my old life. I still would like to travel again one day, once the children are older. That way I can show them all I've seen and we can explore more of what the galaxy has to offer. Ben and I have even entertained the idea of opening an academy together. One where we recruit force-sensitive orphans to train as Jedi. It’d be a good way for the kids to meet others like them, to help children like me who come from nothing, and a way to continue spreading the Jedi teachings, albeit with our own changes and interpretations.”

“I like that idea.” Finn grinned. “Heck I’ll even be your first student if you’ll allow it.”

“Of course I would. I'd be honored" Rey nodded, smiling. "Don't expect me to go easy on you though. You have a lot of catching up to do. The force is much more than just making rocks float.”

"Whatever you say, Master Jedi," Finn said, giving her a mock bow.

Rey chuckled before looking wistfully at her kids. “It’s so strange though. If you told me six years ago when I was a lowly scavenger, that I’d be trained by the last Jedi, marry his nephew who was once my enemy, and raise three children with him on Tatooine, I’d have thought you mad. And yet, I wouldn’t change a thing. Except maybe live somewhere with far less sand.”

Finn laughed with her, watching Rey in awe. She looked so happy, being with her children and talking about her family like they were her greatest treasure. His own mind soon conjured up visions of himself in her position but surrounded by different kids. Some looked like him while others had dark curly hair and eyes like Poe’s.

“I think I understand now,” Finn said in realization. “Why I’ve been so determined to find you all these years. I was trying to find what I’ve truly been missing.”

“And what’s that?” Rey asked.

“A family. I never realized how much I wanted one until now.” Finn clarified. “Being raised in the Order, I was taught not to form attachments, so it was never high on my priorities. You and Poe were the first ones to make me feel valued and to care about me, beyond that of being a soldier. And when you disappeared, I felt like I had lost a part of that. Thought perhaps bringing you back would help restore that emptiness. But you have your own family now, and while I’m glad to be a part of that too... I think I also want one for myself. So, I can experience everything you have.”

Rey smiled. “It’s not too late you know. Something tells me that a certain pilot would be ecstatic to learn that you want a family. I wouldn’t be surprised if you both ended up with at least a dozen children by your next wedding anniversary.”

Finn smiled sheepishly. “Yeah well…that’s assuming if he decides to talk to me again after all this. I haven’t contacted Poe in nearly three days. He’s probably furious with me. Or will be once I tell him I need to take more time off again.”

Rey frowned. “I’m sorry to put such a strain on your job and relationship. If I wasn’t so worried about Ben’s safety, I’d have no problem with you telling Poe the truth. But given what just happened with the assassin droid, we can’t risk it. I’m already worried enough about the move as is and how the children will handle it.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it,” Finn said in assurance. “I’m here to help you guys through all this. Regardless of whatever Poe or the Republic says, I will figure out a way to protect you guys. And in time, hopefully, find a solution, so you won’t have to run or hide ever again.”

Rey smiled gratefully when suddenly they heard loud cries coming from the kitchen. Both kids started to stir a bit before Rey covered their ears, looking anxiously toward the door.

“Don’t worry I’ll check on them. You stay here.” Finn said standing up before pausing. “Um, want anything while I’m in the kitchen?”

“Food would be nice,” Rey responded as the twins settled back down. “I haven’t eaten since midday.”

“You got it. Be back shortly.” Finn nodded before heading to the kitchen.

* * *

Finn followed the cries over to the kitchen, where Ben was standing with his back to the entrance. “Hey, everything okay in here-Woah!”

Finn quickly averted his eyes from Ben, who was now standing shirtless in front of the stove. He was holding baby Leihana with one hand while grabbing the handle of a pot with the other, slowly heating the water and a glass bottle within.

Ben looked up from the stove towards Finn. “Oh, you’re still up? Sorry if she disturbed you. She hasn’t eaten yet so she’s getting fussy.”

“No, no, it’s fine. Rey just wanted me to check in on you guys.” Finn said, still averting his gaze as he focused on the pot. “Is that milk you’re heating up?”

“Formula.” Ben corrected, keeping his grip on the pot. “Rey wasn’t able to feed both twins when they were babies, so we used this instead. Luckily, she bought some on her last marketplace visit. Should’ve gotten more bottles though. The rest somehow broke.”

“Aha,” Finn said, still trying not to stare at Ben’s very muscular and well-toned torso. He also noticed Leihana was out of her blanket, dressed only in a cloth diaper as she clung to Ben’s chest, his large hand engulfing her tiny body. Her eyes were still closed, and her cries had died down to soft whimpers with the occasional hiccup.

“Um, so I was gonna grab Rey some food. Anything you recommend?” Finn asked.

“Oh, uh, look in the cooling unit. I wrapped up her dinner from earlier.” Ben said, gesturing toward the rectangular metal box in the corner. “Just stick it in the heater for a few minutes. Feel free to grab something for yourself too.”

Finn did just that, opening up the cooler and pulling out a bowl that contained traces of meat and noodles. While waiting for it to heat up, he helped himself to a box of biscuits. As his eyes drifted back to Ben, his curiosity got the better of him.

“Okay, I gotta ask. What happened to your shirt?”

Ben glanced at Finn then down at himself, as if forgetting he wasn’t wearing one. “Oh, right. Rey ripped it after I got shot by those darts. Was too torn up to be salvaged so I tossed it out.”

“Okay, that explains what happened to that shirt,” Finn said. “Doesn’t explain why you’re not wearing a new one, or a cowl or something. Unless you don’t have any other clothes?”

“I do. Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?” Ben asked curiously.

“No, no, not really,” Finn said, trying to hide the embarrassed flush on his face. “Just…trying to understand is all.”

Ben nodded. “Well, there are two explanations for that. One is that I’m trying to use skin-to-skin contact to calm Leihana down. Given she was born a little early, having that close contact helps with her growth and regulating her body heat.”

“Fair enough. And the other reason?” Finn asked.

“After I feed and burp her, she’s definitely gonna spit up on me. A lot.” Ben stated, adjusting her slightly. “Learned the hard way the first time I fed the twins. Must’ve gone through at least ten shirts that first year alone. Least this way, there’s nothing for her to ruin.”

Finn chuckled, unable to help but look at Ben in admiration. “That’s smart. You really got this dad stuff down pat, don’t ya? Never would’ve pegged you as the type.”

“Honestly, I never thought I would be either,” Ben said, a small smirk on his face. “Would’ve called you crazy had you told me six years ago that I’d be married and raising kids. On Tatooine of all places. I can practically hear my uncle’s force ghost laughing at me from beyond.”

“Funny, Rey said the same thing,” Finn said in amusement. “Still amazes me that you’ve both managed to raise a family and make a life for yourselves here, despite being on the run. What made you change your mind on all that?”

“Bunch of reasons actually,” Ben said, releasing his hold on the pot to further cuddle Leihana close to him. “Rey, being the biggest reason of course. Before I met her, I never entertained the idea of having a family or being married for that matter. Given I trained to be a Jedi and then a Sith for half my life, there was never room for such things. I was worried about marrying Rey at first, as I felt she deserved better and didn’t want to create an even bigger possible target on her. But given how determined she was to stay by my side, despite everything, I couldn’t ignore my desire to make her my wife.”

Finn thought back to Rey’s memories when she and Ben were on Naboo together. How happy they looked, especially when Ben proposed, and when they got married by the lakeside afterward. He never would've thought that Ben had any doubts or worries about them being together. Soon Finn's thoughts drifted briefly toward how he would see himself proposing to Poe and where they would marry. Knowing Poe, he'd probably want somewhere exotic or extravagant, insist on inviting hundreds of guests, and would make the after-party last a week at most.

"What about having kids?" Finn asked. "Marriage I can understand but having kids while on the run? Talk about risky, especially with their powers."

“Honestly, we never considered or even talked about kids at first,” Ben admitted. “As you said, it was too risky and didn’t seem practical while we were on the run. Not to mention we were still figuring things out as a couple at that point. But of course, the force had different plans for us. Becoming a father has been one of the most daunting, nerve-wracking experiences of my life, and I say that after having served and fought against Palpatine. But it’s one experience I wouldn’t trade for all the galaxy.” Ben smiled gently. “Still does feel strange sometimes, like being in a dream. I keep expecting to wake up any day now and be back ruling the First Order alone. That feels like a lifetime ago now.”

“Well, five years does feel like an eternity in this galaxy.” Finn nodded in agreement. “I’ll admit, it’s surprising, hearing you say all this. I always considered you a loner who’d sooner scare kids off with his lightsaber than change diapers.”

Ben chuckled. “Surprising how fast your mindset changes once kids are involved. After I married Rey and we had the twins, I realized what I’d been missing in my life. What I’ve really wanted deep down since childhood."

"You mean a family?" Fin asked, thinking back to his own similar desires.

"Exactly." Ben nodded. "My parents weren’t around much while I was growing up, and after what happened with my uncle, I thought I was better off without a family. Now that I have one of my own, I get to make up for all those years of loneliness and give them the companionship I never had. And in return, I get the close, loving family I’ve always wanted.”

Finn watched as Ben looked down at Leihana, lovingly caressing her with his injured hand. Though his other injuries had been healed, Ben was still missing his two smallest fingers. His nubby hand drifted over to Leihana’s own injured one that was clutched onto his chest, caressing the jet-black skin and her two remaining fingers.

“Weird how the force can heal cuts and stab wounds, but not severed limbs.” Finn mused as he watched them. “You’d think given how often that happens, the force wouldn’t be so stingy.”

Ben snorted in amusement. “If that were the case, my uncle wouldn’t have been the one-handed wonder for most of his adult life. Probably would’ve made him less grumpy too.”

The two shared a laugh. Ben then glanced up at Finn for a moment before stepping toward him.

“Finn, I…I don’t think I’ve properly thanked you yet for all you’ve done. You went above and beyond to keep my wife and children safe. To keep me safe. All because they asked you to. You saved Rey. You saved me, and my kids. Especially her.” Ben said, looking at Leihana in his arms. “I guess what I’m saying is…I’m really thankful you never gave up on finding her all these years. And I’m especially grateful for all you’ve done and all you plan to do for us. Also, I'm sorry for all the harm and suffering I've caused you. I only hope one day that you can accept my apology along with my gratitude. Though, I’d understand if that weren’t possible.”

Finn looked surprised by Ben’s sincerity. He took a moment to process his words before trying to casually shake it off. “Hey, come on now. Don’t be singing my praises like that. I mean, yeah, you definitely did a lot of messed up stuff, but I’m not exactly innocent either. I’m still the guy who betrayed you and his squadron. Who nearly drove you insane and got you shot at by Tusken Raiders. Made your wife go into premature labor while she tried saving you from the dark side. Not to mention I put her and the baby in a coma with that experimental medicine. And I almost got your kids killed by that droid…nearly drove Anni to the dark side too when I couldn’t save you.”

“She gave in to the darkness?” Ben asked in surprise.

“Almost,” Finn added quickly. “I managed to snap her out of it before it happened. The point is, a lot of that wouldn’t have happened at all if I didn’t come snooping around and meddled in your business. If I hadn’t gotten you injured and put Rey in a coma, you both probably would’ve finished off that droid a lot sooner and without dying in the process. Could’ve spared your kids the danger and emotional trauma too…”

Though Ben seemed briefly worried over what happened with Anni, he still placed a comforting hand on Finn’s shoulder, looking at him in appreciation. “What’s past is past. The point is, you never gave up on protecting all of us. We’re all still here, you’re still here, and soon we'll be somewhere much safer. Despite everything, you kept your promises Finn. I’d consider that a success in my book.”

Finn glanced up at him gratefully. “Thanks, Ben. For what’s it worth, I do accept your gratitude…as well as your apology.”

Ben’s eyes widened in surprise. “Really?”

“I mean, you did save my life multiple times over the course of one day. Add that in comparison to how many times we tried killing each other over the years, and I'd say we're at least even now in that aspect,” Finn said sincerely. “Can’t exactly say we’re friends yet but…I’m open to the possibility if you are.”

Finn then offered Ben his hand. Ben’s eyes glistened as he grasped Finn’s hand, shaking it as a grateful smile appeared on his face.

Suddenly they heard a hissing noise and turned to see the pot starting to boil over.

“Oh shoot!” Ben shouted, which caused Leihana to start screaming. “No, no, don’t cry. Just give me a sec-”

“Here, give her to me,” Finn said, holding out his hands. Ben quickly placed her in Finn’s arms as he went to turn off the stove, trying to save the formula from burning.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay kiddo,” Finn said, holding Leihana close and bouncing her in his arms as she cried against his shoulder. “Your dad’s getting your food right now, just hang on.”

As Ben fumbled about, Leihana flexed her jaw and began mouthing against Finn’s jacket, searching for food. Getting an idea, Finn stuck his finger in her mouth, allowing her to suckle on it. Immediately she started calming down and gripped tightly onto his jacket. Finn let out a sigh of relief, immensely glad that he had washed his hands earlier.

“There we go,” Finn said soothingly. “You’re alright now.”

Ben glanced up as he prepped the bottle, unable to hold back his smile as he saw Finn interacting with his daughter. “Funny how you never pegged me for the dad type. Meanwhile, I thought you had a bunch of kids of your own, given what a natural you are with them.”

Finn chuckled. “Nah, not yet. Maybe one day soon. Gonna need lots of practice before then. Ain’t that right little Rey?”

Baby Leihana then stopped sucking on Finn’s finger. Letting out a yawn, her eyelids twitched as she slowly started peering up at Finn.

“Oh hey, she’s opening her eyes!” Finn exclaimed.

“She is!?” Ben asked as he quickly finished prepping the bottle.

Finn looked fondly at the baby girl, who reminded him so much of his best friend. “Hey, kiddo. Glad to see you alert and finally showing off those pretty peepers of…yours…”

As soon as Leihana opened her eyes, Finn’s face fell in shock, then worry, then panic.

Ben meanwhile tossed a cloth over his shoulder as he approached with the bottle. “I was wondering when she’d finally open her eyes. Give her here.”

As Ben reached for her, Finn stepped back, now looking scared of him.

“Something wrong?” Ben asked, looking concerned.

“Umm, uh, no, not really…” Finn said looking uncomfortable.

“Okay...then hand me my baby please,” Ben said, reaching for her again.

Again, Finn hesitated. “Okay um, just promise me one thing? That you won’t get mad? Not that’s there’s anything to get mad about, I’m sure this could’ve happened to anyone but still-”

“What did you do to her!?” Ben demanded, a surge of anger on his face as he pulled the infant out of Finn’s arms before he could protest.

Leihana immediately started screaming as Ben pulled her to him. Looking down at her, Ben quickly realized her good hand was now bleeding, as she had grabbed onto the pins on Finn’s jacket which scrapped her when Ben pulled her away.

“Oh great!” Ben swore under his breath as he looked around for bandages. “Shh, shh, it’s okay starlight. I’m sorry. Daddy’s gonna make it all better.”

“Here, this should fit around her hand,” Finn said, as he reached into his pocket and removed a small bandage, handing it to Ben.

Ben took it and went to go rinse her hand in the sink when he noticed something odd. "What the..."

The blood on Leihana's hand was now glowing blue, before fading away into her skin.

“Her cut is gone,” Ben said in disbelief.

“Gone? Just like that?” Finn asked in bewilderment. Ben held up her hand to show him, which contained no traces of blood or cuts anywhere on it.

As Leihana calmed back down, she glanced up at her father and Finn, finally giving Ben a good look at her opened eyes.

Finn winced while Ben froze in shock. 

Leihana’s eyes were a light blue. A bright, glowing, sparkling crystal blue.

Bacta gel blue.

* * *

“Ben stop pacing. You’re going to wear out the floor.”

After discovering his daughter’s newest quirks, Ben immediately started panicking, which in turn further upset Leihana and made Finn nervous. Rey, who immediately sensed her husband, daughter, and friend's distress, managed to quietly free herself from the sleeping twins and came to the kitchen to see what wrong. While surprised by Leihana’s unusual glowing eye color, Rey wasn’t as upset as Ben appeared to be. Finn, attempting to calm the situation, theorized that the highly concentrated Bacta must still be in her system, causing the strange effects. He said they might disperse over time along with the medicine, yet didn’t sound too sure nor gave a solid time frame.

It took some convincing, but eventually Ben settled down enough so Leihana and Rey could eat their meals in peace. Once the baby was put to bed, the three adults agreed to get some shut-eye and revisit everything in the morning when everyone was better rested.

Unfortunately, Ben wasn’t any better after waking up, brooding around the home in silence, his anxiety radiating off him in droves. Even the kids noticed his changed demeanor. As such, Rey had taken over feedings and diaper duty for the baby while also preparing breakfast. Finn, wanting to give Ben space and the two parents a chance to talk privately, took the kids into the now clean yard afterward with BB-8 to practice sparring.

As Rey sat in their living area feeding Leihana a bottle, Ben continued to pace around the room anxiously.

“We need to find a real doctor. A specialist or something.” Ben said almost half to himself in worry. “I was worried enough about her hand, but now she has glowing eyes and self-healing abilities too? There’s gotta be an explanation or a way to fix it or something-”

“Fix it? Ben, there’s nothing wrong with her!” Rey said indignantly. “Or at least nothing that requires ‘fixing’. You’re overthinking all this-”

“At least I’m showing some concern!” Ben snapped. “You don’t seem the least bit worried at all!”

“I am worried, but more about the way you’re reacting towards her!” Rey responded, trying to keep her tone even so as not to disturb the baby. “Look I know this is all odd but it’s not the worst thing to ever happen. So, she has glowing eyes. So what? That’s no reason to panic. Lots of other species have glowing eyes. As for her hand, we can get her a prosthetic one when she’s older or maybe have robotic fingers installed. Keep in mind none of these are life-threatening conditions. Besides, her self-healing powers most likely will end up being a good thing for her in the future.”

Ben took a deep breath “It’s not just that. I…I can’t sense anything from her.”

Rey blinked in surprise. “What?”

“The force. I can’t sense it from her!” Ben said anxiously. “I never really paid attention before but when I tried focusing on her this morning, I couldn’t sense anything outside her normal presence. Not the way I can with Anni and Fin. That Bacta injection must’ve done something to her or is somehow blocking her force abilities. Which is why we need to find someone who knows about this who can help. Maybe summon a force ghost that’s willing to talk to us.”

Rey said nothing, frowning as she looked away. Ben stopped pacing as he noted her worried expression. “What’s wrong? Why do you have that look?”

“What look?” Rey asked, not meeting his eyes.

“The look that says you’re keeping something from me,” Ben stated. “I thought we agreed to tell each other everything. What are not telling me, Rey?”

Rey sighed sadly. “I wanted to wait to bring this up. Just in case I was wrong. I didn’t want to worry you and you’re already close to flying off the handle as is-”

“Rey please, I can’t take any more secrets!” Ben begged. “If something is wrong, if it’s something that will affect our daughter, I need to know so I can figure out how to fix it-”

“You can’t fix everything, Ben!” Rey stated firmly. “Not that this needs fixing anyways…”

When she didn’t elaborate further, Ben placed a hand over hers and squeezed. “Rey. What’s going on with Leihana? I need to know.”

Rey took a deep breath, placing the empty baby bottle down before speaking. “Do you remember, back when we found out I was pregnant with the twins, how strongly we felt the force from them the first time? How it continued to get stronger as they grew? How, when they were born, they broke almost every glass item in the med unit with their cries alone?”

“How could I forget,” Ben said, looking at Rey seriously. “Where are you going with this?”

Rey braced herself. “I haven’t felt any of that with Leihana. At all.”

Ben’s face froze as he seemed to be processing what she was saying. “Wait. Are you telling me she- No. No, it can’t be, I’ve-I’ve sensed it before. I’ve sensed her power-”

“You’ve sensed my power, while she was inside me.” Rey pointed out. “Now that she’s here, you can’t deny that she doesn’t-”

“No! No don’t tell me that!” Ben said, firmly shaking his head. “It’s not possible, there’s no way-”

“I am telling you, and it is possible!” Rey said as she glanced at the baby in her arms. “Ben, I don’t think Leihana will be a force user like us or her siblings. There’s a chance that maybe I’m wrong, that maybe her life force isn’t as strong as theirs or maybe she’ll develop her powers later like I did. Even so, something is telling me that’s not going to happen. And deep down, I think you know that too.”

“No, no, no!” Ben shouted standing up. “She has to be a force user! Everyone else in my family is, there’s no way she isn’t!”

“You know that’s not true!” Rey said standing up as Leihana started crying in her arms. “Your father wasn’t a force user, and neither was your grandmother. Most of the galaxy is made up of non-force users and they manage to get by just fine.”

“Those other ‘non-force users’ aren’t related to me or at risk of being targeted because of my past crimes!” Ben shouted. “What if we get found out again? What if another assassin or bounty hunter comes for us? She won’t be able to defend herself, she’ll be helpless!”

“No, she won’t!” Rey shouted back, as Leihana’s cries got louder. “We’ll protect her while she’s young and teach her to fight when she’s ready, just like we’ve been teaching Anni and Fin!”

“Anni and Fin don’t have a deformed limb that prevents them from wielding a weapon properly!” Ben stated sternly. “They don’t have glowing blue eyes that would make them an easy find for any hunter trying to track them! And what if that Bacta injection wears off eventually? What if it doesn’t!? We don’t even know the extent of her healing abilities. What if she can’t heal certain injuries? It certainly didn't heal her hand, or what's left of it. Or what if it causes some even weirder effects? It could prevent her from aging and suddenly she's stuck as a baby forever! How am I supposed to protect her when she’s a liability onto herself!?”

At that Leihana let out a loud wail, prompting Rey to throw an angry glare at Ben. “We’re not having this conversation while she’s here. Come find me when you’re done berating our daughter for her disability and treating her like a burden.”

“No wait, I wasn’t-Rey!” He then watched as Rey carried Leihana off into their bedroom. Ben let out a frustrated sigh, running his fingers through his hair. After taking a few moments to calm down, Ben promptly followed after them.

Ben waited in the doorway, watching as Rey was trying to burp Leihana, who was still crying.

“Shh, shh, shh, it’s alright. It’s just you and me now darling.” She said bouncing her daughter gently while patting her back. “Don’t listen to what daddy said. He’s didn’t mean to be hurtful. He’s just afraid for you. But you and I know better. We know you’re going to do all sorts of amazing things, despite whatever difficulties you may have.”

Ben frowned as he listened to Rey's encouragement, suddenly feeling guilty for what he said before. Gradually, Leihana stopped crying and let out a small burp, much to Rey’s relief. “There we go. Much better. You’ll be just fine my little starlight. I’ll make sure of it.”

Placing a kiss on her cheek, Rey carefully lowered Leihana inside her small cradle, swaddling her in a blanket. Leihana’s cries soon softened to sniffles as the infant drifted off to sleep.

As Rey stood over her watching, Ben walked up behind her. She stiffened in place until Ben wrapped his arms around her, holding her close and burying his face in the crook of her neck.

“I’m sorry.” He uttered softly. “For all those awful things I said. I know she’s not a liability or a burden. She’s strong, just like you are. I can’t help but worry is all. After nearly losing you all yesterday, I want to make sure she’ll be able to defend herself, even when I’m not around.”

“She will. We’ll both train her to do so.” Rey said placing her hand over his cheek and tilting her head against his. “Remember, no matter what, we won’t treat her any differently than her siblings. She may not be able to use the force, but she can still learn other ways to fight. We can teach her to duel, to use a blaster, learn hand-to-hand combat. We can even teach her to be a pilot or how to build and repair ships. There are infinite possibilities and opportunities for her to learn and grow. We just have to show her how to overcome her limitations so they don't hold her back. Once she learns that, she’ll become an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. Just like her daddy.”

Ben pulled back, turning Rey around to face him. He looked upon her with total adoration, eyes glistening with emotion. “How’d I ever get so lucky? I don’t deserve someone like you.”

“Maybe not,” Rey said, giving him a teasing smirk as she caressed his cheek. “But I still love you, even when you’re being an idiot. Lucky for me, you are kind of good looking, so I suppose it balances out for both of us.”

A smile finally spread over Ben’s face. “So, you’re saying you only married me for my looks? And here I thought we had an intimate, unbreakable bond that transcended time and space.”

Rey chuckled. “Perhaps. Still, be glad you look so good without a shirt on, or I don’t know how I’d put up with you.”

“I still don’t know how you put up with me,” Ben smirked as he captured her lips in a tender kiss. “But I’m glad you do. You keep me going, and always give me the reassurance I need. I could never be more grateful that you’re my wife.”

“And I couldn’t be prouder to have you as a husband.” Rey smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him into a searing kiss. Ben held her close, savoring her lips and running his hands along her body as she pressed up against him.

Rey pulled away slightly, looking into his eyes with utmost sincerity. “I love you, Ben. Forever and always. No matter what, we’ll get through this together.”

“I love you too Rey,” Ben answered back. “Forever and always. Till we're one with the force.”

Rey blushed, smiling brightly as she held him close. Ben in turn wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight.

As he held Rey, Ben peered down at Leihana, who was now asleep in her cradle. Despite all they discussed, Ben still felt a lingering doubt and worry regarding his youngest daughter’s safety and future.

“It’ll all be alright my love,” Rey said, hugging him tighter. “You’ll see. Our children will be just fine.”

Ben tried to smile but settled for just holding Rey close. “Yeah. I’m sure they will be…”

* * *

Outside in the front yard, Finn was having a hard time holding his own against Anni and Fin, who were double-teaming him with their practice sabers. They had given him Rey’s practice saber to use but as Finn still wasn’t all that experienced with sparring, his feeble attacks were no match for the twin's wild, unrestrained moves.

“Come on Doctor Finn, fight back!” Anni said as she attacked him from the left with her saber, alternating between striking his legs and his torso.

“I’m trying-ouch! Just give me a sec-hey! Watch it!” Finn exclaimed as Fin stabbed him in the rear and ran away laughing.

As they continued to wail on Finn, Ben emerged from the hut, having finished setting the table for lunch. He paused upon spotting the three, folding his arms as he watched in amusement.

“Take that! And that!” Anni attacked Finn over and over as he backed away from her, trying to block himself with his saber. Suddenly he fell over backward, having tripped over Fin who had gotten onto his hands and knees.

Fin stood up laughing, waving his saber as he swaggered about. “Come on Doctor Finn, you’re not even trying!”

“Oh yeah? Well-” Finn then reached up and yanked Fin’s saber out of his hand. He then jumped to his feet with two sabers in hand and let out a battle cry. Both twins screamed as Finn chased them around the yard, waving the two sabers around.

As Ben chuckled at the turn of events, BB-8 rolled up to him, beeping and whistling for his attention.

Ben glanced down at him. “What have you been up to?”

BB-8 gestures around the yard. Ben looked around and was surprised to see all the scrap piles had been meticulously organized, with all the burnt bits tossed into one large pile along with the destroyed IG unit. He had to admit, it looked a lot better than how Rey usually kept things. Though he’d never tell her that out loud. BB-8's metal arm extended, offering Ben back his blaster that Finn had dropped in the sand.

“Wow. You’ve been a busy little droid.” Ben said, taking back the blaster and glancing down at BB-8 in gratitude. “Looks good though. Thanks for all your help.”

BB-8 whistled back in appreciation as Ben continued.

“Just brace yourself for when Rey sees it. She may not be too happy.”

BB-8 beeped questioningly at Ben. Before he could elaborate, Ben heard a grunt and looked up to see Finn falling forward into the sand while trying to grab the twins. Both kids immediately took back his sabers, crawled onto his back, and were now stabbing him with his own stolen weapons.

Ben tried not to laugh out loud at how quickly Finn lost control of the situation. BB-8 however beeped at him worriedly, begging him to step in. “Alright, alright, hang on.”

“Okay time out! Time out!” Finn yelled as he lay pinned in the sand with the twins on top of him.

“No mercy!” Fin shouted, laughing evilly as he bopped Finn in the back of the head with his padded saber.

“Fin!”

Both kids stopped as Ben approached them, looking stern.

“Yes, daddy?” The blonde boy asked innocently.

“Let him up,” Ben commanded. “If you’re gonna finish your opponent, at least do it while facing him properly. That’s the honorable thing to do.”

“Wait, what?” Finn asked as he sat up.

Fin got up and raced over to Ben, who adjusted his son’s stance and saber position. “You’re aiming for his head too much. Only do that if you intend to take out your target immediately. For sparring, you need to be respectable. Aim for his chest and stomach, they're bigger targets. You can also stab him in the legs and arms to cripple him or just to throw him off-balance if need be.”

“Don’t encourage him on ways to kill and maim me!” Finn exclaimed.

“Why not?” Ben asked casually. “I’m his father. It’s my job to be encouraging, and to show him how to fight properly.”

“Show me, daddy, show me!” Anni said racing up to him excitedly. 

"Of course sweetheart." Ben nodded and adjusted her stance as well, so they were now both aiming their sabers menacingly at Finn.

“Now remember, if he uses the force, only use your powers to subdue him back. No choking and keep all attacks above the belt.” Ben said patting both their backs. “Have fun.”

Both kids screamed out as Finn hastily got to his feet and ran away from them, trying to hide among the scrap piles.

Rey then came out of the hut, smiling as she spotted Finn playing with her children, or more accurately, running away from them. Her smile vanished as she spotted all the reorganized scrap piles. “Hang on. Who rearranged all the scrap metal? Ugh! I had them in a very specific order! Now I’ll have to start all over again! Just great...”

BB-8 whistled guiltily and hid behind Ben who glanced down at him smugly. “Told ya.”

Letting out a huff of annoyance, Rey recovered her smile as she walked over to Ben, who grinned as he pulled her in his arms, kissing her sweetly.

“Having fun, are they?” Rey asked, watching as Finn weaved in and out of piles, trying to avoid the twins.

“You could say that,” Ben smirked as he put an arm around Rey. “How’s Leihana?”

“Still sleeping surprisingly. I managed to finish making lunch without her stirring once.” Rey confirmed. “I must say, so far she’s been an amazingly good baby compared to the twins. A lot quieter and easier to put down. It’s almost a relief.”

“I’ll say.” Ben nodded. “Least we don’t have to worry about any more glass breaking.”

Finn finally came running back toward the couple, huffing and out of breath. “Pleeeease call them off!”

The twins approached with their sabers raised as Rey held up a hand. “Alright kids, that’s enough. Time to give Finn a break.”

The kids stopped, lowering their weapons as they let out disappointing groans. “Aw, man!”

“Now what do we do?” Anni asked.

“We can practice using our powers.” Fin suggested.

“Hey yeah!” Anni nodded. “Doctor Finn, you want to help us make that broken cooling unit float?”

“Maybe later kids.” Finn said to their disappointment before quickly turning to Rey and Ben, “Hey, can I talk to you both in private? Please?”

The two exchanged glances and nodded before Rey addressed the kids. “Anni, Fin, go inside and wash up for lunch. You can practice using your force powers afterward.”

The twins nodded and rushed off with BB-8 following close behind, laughing as they raced each other.

“And don’t wake your sister!” Ben added as they disappeared into the hut.

Once they were gone, Rey turned back to Finn. “Everything all right?”

Finn let out a breath. “Okay so…I’ve been thinking a lot since last night and have been trying to come up with a plan. Been going over all the ways I could get you all off this planet undetected, find a place that isn't monitored by the Republic, and keep y’all under the radar so no more assassins show up. I thought it over long and hard and I realized…I can’t come up with a solid plan. At least…not by myself.”

“What are you saying?” Ben asked.

“There’s only one way I can guarantee your safeties…but in order to do that, I need to bring Poe in on the secret.”

“What?” Rey exclaimed. “Finn!”

“Hear me out please!” Finn added quickly. “Poe could be a great asset to us. He has tremendous influence in the Republic and a lot more pull when it comes to getting what he wants, and he knows much more about the galaxy as a whole, including places for refugees to stay. But most importantly, Poe is also really good at sniffing out secrets. Chances are, he’s gonna find out what I’m doing long before I even have a chance to lie to him about it. I think, rather than trying to complicate things and adding to the very long list of Republic people we’re trying to avoid, we should bring him in and use his status to our advantage. Granted he won’t exactly be keen on helping Ben, but there’s a good chance he’ll still do it for you Rey, and for your kids. If you give me the opportunity to explain everything to him, I bet I could convince him to help us. Especially when it comes to finding you all a safe place to live, as well as keeping any active targets away from Ben.”

Rey and Ben exchanged nervous glances between them, prompting Finn to continue.

“Look, I acknowledge it’s a risky decision that might not pay off, and I know you’ve done well for the most part in terms of hiding yourselves these past five years. But guys, this isn’t living. This isn’t a healthy or enriching way for you and your kids to spend your lives, being in the middle of nowhere, isolated, constantly looking over your shoulders. Your kids deserve better than that. You guys deserve better than that. And the only way I can help get you a better life is by seeking help myself. Poe may be a hot head and impulsive, but he will help me if I ask him to…so, please. I’m asking you both to trust me on this.”

Ben and Rey stay silent for a moment, contemplating everything Finn said.

Finally, Ben spoke up. “Okay then. Do what you have to do.”

“What?” Rey turned to Ben. “Ben are you sure about this? I mean, you’re the one most at risk here-”

“Rey he’s right,” Ben said. “This isn’t a way to live. Our children deserve a chance to grow up in a place that isn’t a barren wasteland. They should be able to play with kids their own age and see what the rest of the galaxy has to offer without constantly hiding or living in fear. They can’t live off your stories forever.”

“Yes but…” Rey struggled to find an excuse. “What if something goes wrong? What if Poe won't help us, what if-?”

“Then we’ll face those obstacles together,” Ben said, cupping her face. “Just like we always do.”

Rey glanced anxiously at Ben, who caressed her cheek as he gave her a reassuring look. Eventually, she relented, giving into his touch briefly before looking at Finn. “Alright. You can bring Poe in on the secret.”

Finn let out a sigh of relief. “Good. In that case, I better get packing. My transmitter is back on my ship, which is currently parked in Mos Eisley spaceport. Gonna take me a while to get there on foot.”

“Take the mini-speeder. It’ll cut your trip in half.” Ben suggested. “You can leave after we have lunch. How long do you think it’ll take to contact him?”

“Hopefully not too long, although explaining everything is gonna take some time. I’ll try to be back tomorrow morning at the earliest. Aside from calling Poe, I do need to take care of some other things before I return. That destroyed land speeder isn’t gonna pay for itself, unfortunately. If there’s anything y’all need while I’m at the market, let me know.”

“We’ll make a list and give you some credits for the speeder,” Rey answered before a thought occurred to her. “Just be careful, please? Make sure when you enter the canyons, to stay away from the caves so you won’t be ambushed by any more raiders. Oh, and make sure to travel away from the suns so you don’t get lost.”

“Thanks for the advice. And don’t worry about payment, it’s all on me.” Finn confirmed. “Just make sure to stay safe till I return this time?”

“Only if you promise to do the same,” Ben responded, as he and Rey looked fondly at Finn.

Touched by their concern, Finn nodded in agreement before starting to make plans for his departure.

* * *

It had been a surprisingly emotional event when Finn told the kids that he and BB-8 were leaving for Mos Eisely after lunch. Anni and Fin nearly cried and even clung to his legs, thinking he was never coming back. Finn not only promised to return but also vowed to bring them back gifts back as well. Surprisingly, BB-8 was just as reluctant about leaving the kids behind as well. He was especially anxious about leaving Leihana alone, as he had stood watch over the tiny baby for most of the afternoon while they ate, never letting her out of his sight. Ultimately, Finn couldn't bring himself to pry the droid away from the kids and allowed him to stay behind, under the condition that he keep them all out of trouble. Rey had packed him leftovers while Ben gave him his blaster just in case, and even slipped him a few credits despite his protests.

After a long tearful goodbye, Finn headed off into the canyons on Rey's mini-speeder. Despite not having BB-8 around, Finn managed not to get lost this time. Heading Rey’s advice, he stayed on course and avoided any more Tusken Raider encounters before arriving back in Mos Eisely.

After paying a hefty toll for the destroyed land speeder and for time rented in the hanger, Finn finally entered his ship again, which was thankfully still in one piece. Finn turned the ship on to activate the transmitter, sending a signal out to New Republic headquarters on Chandrilla.

“This is General Finn, calling in. Does anyone copy?”

There was some static, prompting Finn to adjust his settings and repeat himself. “This is General Finn, calling in. Is anyone there?”

Finally, a voice broke through. _“This is New Republic headquarters; may I verify who’s calling?”_

Finn rolled his eyes. “This is General Finn, with an urgent call for General Poe Dameron. Is he available?”

_“I’m sorry, but General Dameron is in a meeting and is not to be disturbed-”_

_“Is that Finn!? Give it here!”_

_“Sir, you said no one is to bother you during-”_

_“Forget that! Give it!”_

Finn heard some static and rustling before hearing the familiar voice of his fellow general. _“Finn? Finn is that you? Are you there!?”_

Finn smiled upon hearing his voice. “Yeah Poe. I’m here.”

Poe let out a relieved sigh. _“Thank the maker. I’ve been worried sick. I’ve tried contacting you since yesterday but got no answer. Thought you were kidnapped by Jawas or was eaten by sandworms or something.”_

Finn chuckled. “Nah, none of that. But a lot has happened since we last spoke that I’m eager to fill you in on.”

_“Really? Oh yes definitely, please do! Did you manage to find that… 'thing’ you were looking for?”_

Finn paused. “Before I say anything, are you alone right now? If not, can you get somewhere you won’t be overheard?”

“Umm, hang on. I’m gonna switch over to the comm in my office. Don’t go anywhere!”

The line went silent as Finn waited to be taken off hold. Part of him wondered if he was doing the right thing or not. While he did trust Poe and wanted to tell him about everything, Finn still worried about whether or not Poe would be willing to believe and accept everything he said. Whether or not he was willing to forgive Rey for leaving and let go of his past grudge against Ben the way Finn had in order to help relocate their family. Finn could only hope the pilot understood and wouldn't go around blabbing out of spite. 

Just then a signal came in, followed by static. _“Hello? Finn you still there?”_

Finn turned up the settings on his transmission. “Yeah Poe, I am. You sure you’re alone and in a secure location?”

 _“Yeah absolutely. Office door is locked, line is secure, and there’s no one else on this floor aside from myself.”_ Poe confirmed. _"So, spill already. Did you actually…find her?”_

Finn smiled. “You may as well get comfortable…cause there’s a whole lot of things I need to fill you in on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, I couldn't resist sneaking in a shirtless Ben. :p curse Adam Driver for being so damn smexy <3


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn attempts to bring Poe in on the secret while Ben contemplates how to handle his children's futures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of angst and anxiety issues ahead. Wanted to get a little more in before ending this story for character development purposes. Don't worry, it's only for this chapter, meaning the rest will be sunshine and sparkles :P
> 
> Also, a very Happy Hannukah and shalom to you all :)

** Chapter 13  **

Once Finn had left, things became quiet around the farm, especially when compared to the excitement of the previous day. While Rey and Ben tried getting back to their usual routines, Ben couldn’t help but notice that something seemed off in their household, especially in regards to his wife and kids.

Suddenly Anni and Fin weren't as eager to practice their training anymore, saying it was more fun when they got to beat up Finn and chase him around the farm. They had hoped to play with Leihana and teach her how to use the force, but Ben reminded them that she was still too young and needed her rest, much to their disappointment. He didn't have the heart to tell them that their sister would never be a force user like them, especially when he was still trying to accept that fact himself.

Ben also noticed that Rey seemed a little down as well. While she still smiled and continued to lavish attention on their kids, especially their new baby girl, there were moments where Ben could sense her loneliness emerging for the first time in years. It became especially noticeable when he and Rey went to check on the twins later that day.

"Everything alright in here?" Rey asked, quietly tapping on their door before she and Ben entered. "You two are being usually quiet."

Both kids had been spending a lot of time in their bedroom, either reading their picture books or coloring, but otherwise mostly keeping to themselves. Which was quite strange for them.

"Yeah…just drawing..." Anni said, rather somberly.

"Nothing else fun to do…" Fin added, putting down his picture book before sulking.

Rey and Ben exchanged worried glances. Rey then thought to herself for a moment before addressing the kids. "I see…I guess you both wouldn't be in the mood for a story then…"

"Story!?" The twins exclaimed, dropping what they were doing to run up to Rey. "Tell us, mommy, tell us!"

Rey smiled, glancing at Ben who smirked back at her. She then gestured for the kids to sit down, taking her usual storytelling spot on a small chair while the twins sat on a rug before her, both eagerly facing forward. Ben meanwhile, leaned in the doorway, wanting to be on stand-by in case Leihana woke up early from her nap.

"So, today's story is another tale about the Scavenger-"

"That's you, mommy!" Fin pointed out. 

"What? I never said it was me," Rey said, shaking her head.

"Of course it is," Anni spoke up. "The Scavenger knows the force, and carries a staff, and can fight with a lightsaber."

"I assure you it's just a coincidence," Rey said feigning ignorance, yet unable to hide her grin. "Anyways, today's story is a bit different. This is the story of how the Scavenger met her best friend in the entire galaxy…the Soldier."

Ben couldn't help but listen with interest. While she had referenced him before in her other stories, Ben never heard Rey tell the story of how she met Finn. He had seen it play out in her memories before and wondered how she was gonna tell it to the kids.

"You see, the Soldier was much different than the other beings the Scavenger encountered in her travels. For one…he used to be a bad guy!"

The twins gasped in surprise.

"Did he work for the Supreme Leader and the Second Empire?" Anni asked curiously.

"Yes, he did.” Rey nodded. “Until his very first mission that is. When the Supreme Leader ordered the Soldier to attack a village, he quickly realized he didn't want to harm innocent people and defied the Leader's orders. Knowing he'd get in trouble for it, the Soldier then risked his life to free the Scavenger's other friend, the Pilot, who was being held captive on the Supreme Leader's ship at the time. Together they stole a TIE fighter and made a daring escape to Jakku. After the two became separated, the Soldier wandered into a Jakku trading post, where he ran into the Scavenger herself…who may or may not have kicked his butt the first time she met him.”

Fin laughed to himself in amusement, while Anni raised her hand. “Did the Soldier use any cool weapons like the Scavenger?”

“Not particularly. He was mostly partial to using blasters, and riot batons on occasion,” Rey said before adding. “Although, he did actually wield a lightsaber once or twice. In fact, later on in their adventures, he would use that same lightsaber to fight against the Supreme Leader, and help the Scavenger take him down."

As the twins listened eagerly to Rey's story, Ben couldn't help but look uncomfortable, anxiously clenching his hands and jaw. He had allowed Rey to tell her stories on the condition that she kept him, his past, and the dark side of himself a secret from the kids. As a result, Rey gave all the characters in her stories different names and titles, keeping them anonymous for the most part. Although the kids did manage to figure some things out, they still had no idea that the evil Supreme Leader who fought against the Scavenger and tried to take over the galaxy was also the man who raised them.

Most of the stories Rey told were innocent enough: Tales of her scavenging expeditions while growing up on Jakku. Her training sessions with his uncle and mother. Even the trips she and him had made to other planets before the kids were born. However, once in a while, she would talk about a space battle or a duel she was involved in, which often featured Ben, or ‘the Supreme Leader’ as she called him, as the obstacle that ‘the Scavenger’ had to defeat. While Rey had downplayed his villainy in her stories and always assured him afterward that he wasn't that man anymore, that didn’t stop Ben from feeling self-conscious as well as guilty whenever he was reminded of his dark past. 

"…and so, with laser fire raining down on them, the Scavenger and Soldier stole an old ship, leading the attacking TIE fighters on a chase around the desert, through the husks of fallen Imperial ships. Once they managed to destroy all the fighters, they escaped into outer space in search of the Freedom Flyers, so they could join them in their fight against the Second Empire. While they would go on to have many more adventures together over the years, the Scavenger would always remember this one the best. Not just because it was the first time she had been off the planet, but it was also the first time she embarked on an adventure with her first and most, dearest friend."

The twins looked between themselves before Fin spoke up. “You think…one day we’ll go into space too, mommy? And have friends to go on adventures with, just like the Soldier?”

Rey smiled sympathetically and nodded. “Of course you will darling. One day, when we’re all able to get off this planet, both of you will meet plenty of other kids like you. Then you'll have more friends than you know what to do with.”

Fin smiled widely, while Anni raised her hand again. 

"Yes, darling?" Rey asked.

"What about the Grey Jedi? I thought you said he and the Scavenger were best friends? How can she have two best friends?”

Rey smirked. "It's quite easy actually. Yes, they were indeed both her best friends, but in different ways. With the Soldier, their relationship was easy. They had a strong, mutual respect for one another, and a dedicated companionship that never wavered, no matter how far apart they were. But with the Grey Jedi, their relationship wasn't so easy. They had to build a lot of trust between each other, and work hard to form the bond and companionship they now have. Once they did, it was so strong and filled with such deep affection, that it inevitably turned into love. A love that could never be broken and would bind them to each other for all eternity."

Rey took a moment to glance over at Ben, catching the soft, grateful look in his eyes, as she felt their bond hum strongly with affection. Not wanting to be caught staring, she quickly turned her attention back to the twins. "So you see kids, friendships can come in all forms and in different ways. And even become something more. In fact, if it wasn't for her friendship with the Soldier and his best friend the Pilot, the Scavenger probably wouldn't have even met the Grey Jedi. She owed a lot to that Soldier and that is why they always stayed the best of friends...through good times and bad."

Ben could spot the briefest of frowns on Rey's face, as well as sense her sadness and loneliness before she quickly covered it up with a forced smile.

"Well, that's enough for now. Why don't you two wash up for supper?" Rey said, standing up. "I'll tell you more about their adventures later."

The twins nodded and quickly got up, racing each other to the fresher and appearing in better spirits.

Ben moved toward Rey. "You okay?"

Rey glanced at Ben and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just worried about Finn is all. Hope he managed to get to Mos Eisely safely and can find his way back in one piece."

"Finn can take care of himself," Ben assured her. "He'll be back before we know it."

Rey nodded, though didn't look too convinced. "Yes, of course…I just don't want him getting hurt again on my account. He's already gone through so much just trying to find me...I can't help but feel like a bad friend sometimes..."

Ben grasped her shoulder gently. "If there's one thing I've learned about Finn since he got here, is that he'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, even if it evolves going to the furthest edge of the universe. I'm half inclined to believe he'd pull it off too. Point is, I'm sure he wouldn't be so dedicated to you if he didn't think you were a friend worth keeping. So have faith. You know nothing will stop him from getting back here."

Rey smiled in relief. "You're right. I'm just being silly. He'll be back soon enough. Hopefully..." Once again, that brief frown crossed her features, which she quickly covered up again with a fake smile. "I'm, uh, gonna go wake Leihana for her feeding. You can start supper without me." Rey then quickly headed out of the twins' room toward theirs to check on the baby.

Ben frowned as he watched her go. Although he didn't take it personally that his family missed Finn being there, he couldn't help but feel guilty and somewhat neglectful as a husband and father. Given how long it'd been since he'd socialized with anyone outside his family, it never occurred to Ben just how important having friends was to some people. Seeing how his family was acting in Finn's absence, he realized now how badly Rey, Anni, and Fin needed that type of companionship in their lives. This made him feel all the more guilty, since it was his fault that they'd been deprived of such opportunities in the first place. It was like Finn's presence had opened up a floodgate that couldn't be closed again. He could only hope that Finn would make it back to the farm safely and promptly, if only for his family's sake.

* * *

"…and then I came back here and now I'm talking to you. So yeah, believe that's everything."

The twin suns had long set over Mos Eisley by the time Finn finished talking. He had spent the better part of a standard hour explaining to Poe everything that had happened since he and BB-8 landed on Tatooine. Poe, to his credit, silently listened as Finn filled him in on all the details regarding Rey, Ben, and their kids, only interrupting now and then with an occasional question or need for clarification. By the time Finn had finished, an awkward silence had fallen between them, as Poe seemed to be absorbing the copious amount of information he'd just been told.

"Poe…you still there? I didn't bore you to death or blow your mind, did I?" Finn asked, attempting to be lighthearted, even though Poe's silence was making him nervous beyond belief.

 _"Yeah, no, I'm here,"_ Poe said, a strange tone to his voice. _"Just trying to…process everything."_

Finn swallowed nervously. "Look, if you need some time alone to think all this over-"

 _"No, no! Please don't go."_ Poe said quickly. _"Sorry, it's just…this is a lot to take in Finn. I can barely wrap my head around it. Sounds more like a story I'd hear from those weird, conspiracy groups instead of you. I just can't believe Rey was hiding from us this whole time…with Kylo Ren of all people! And now they're married with kids? In what universe does that make sense?"_

Finn hummed in understanding. "Well, I assure you it's all true. I should know considering I witnessed half of it."

 _"So…what happens now? How do we handle this?"_ Poe asked. " _Are you gonna leave Rey on Tatooine or bring her back here? And what about Ren and their kids? Do we keep this whole thing under wraps or-"?_

"That's part of the reason I called you actually," Finn said leaning forward. "I want to relocate Rey and her family to a more hospitable planet, but still keep their identities a secret. We don't need the Republic getting wind of Ben's survival, especially if there are more active hunters out there. I also wanna know who sent that IG unit so we can find out if any more were made like it. The one we fought didn't seem standard-issue for a Republic droid. Something tells me that either a special order was commissioned or there's some funny business going on in the droid division."

Poe went briefly silent again before speaking. _"Finn, you know I want to help you but…are you aware of what we'd both be risking by doing this? The amount of trouble we'd get in if we're caught? Not to mention what would happen to them if any plans we put in motion failed?"_

"I do." Finn nodded. "Trust me, I thought this over a lot. But after what happened the other day, I can't risk leaving them on their own again. We need to protect them-"

_"You mean protect her."_

Finn paused. "Yes, that too. But I want to make sure the rest of them are safe as well-"

 _"Finn come on. You don't have to keep pretending with me."_ Poe said, sounding defeated. _"I already know your true motive for doing all this. Figured it might happen once you found her, though I didn't expect her to be married with kids when you did…"_

Finn blinked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

 _"Do I have to spell it out for you? Look, I know you've been searching for Rey all this time because you're in love with her and you want to be with her."_ Poe elaborated. _"I picked up on that ever since I first saw you two interacting together. I didn't say anything at the time because I didn't want to complicate things between the three of us. So I put my feelings aside so you'd be free to go after her. But nothing ever happened with that as far as I saw. And then when she disappeared, well…part of me deep down, was hoping you'd get over her and move on. That, maybe in time, I could get you to look at me the way you used to look at her. But you didn't move on. Despite my best efforts, you never seemed to want to take things further with us or even stick around for long periods of time. Eventually, I started preparing myself for the possibility of you leaving me, if or when you found her. I decided that if you did indeed find her, I would graciously step aside so you could finally be happy…and if you didn't, well...I was considering stepping aside anyway, just so I wouldn't continue forcing you into something you clearly don't want."_

"Poe…" Finn said, his heart breaking over Poe's words. "I didn't realize-"

 _"Of course, you didn't,"_ Poe said, sounding tired _. "Look it doesn't matter. I've come to terms and accepted all this a long time ago. What I can't accept, however, is the fact that you're still willing to put yourself on the line for someone who ran from you and willingly deceived you all these years. I'm not trying to bad-mouth Rey or blame her for her choices or anything, but she still caused you a lot of pain and heartbreak. And why? So she could run off with another guy. One who I should mention has tried to kill you and everyone we know multiple times over. That is just unacceptable to me!"_

"Poe, I told you, Rey and I talked it all out. Everything is fine between us now-"

 _"No, it isn't Finn!"_ Poe said trying to keep the anger in his voice under control _. "Look, I know you want me to help them and keep this secret with you but…I don't see how I can do that. It just doesn't seem fair. It feels like…like I'm stepping aside and letting you walk away from me again. Only now, I'm holding the door while doing so, and said door may very well lead right into a prison cell. I don't even get the comfort of knowing you'd be happy with someone else because that someone is already taken. You only stand to lose everything by doing this, and so do I by losing you. How can I justify taking such a risk, of letting you take such a risk, when there's no benefit for either of us?"_

Finn was silent for a bit, taken aback as he thought over Poe's words. Finally, he let out a slow breath before responding.

"I understand your concerns, Poe. And I appreciate it, really I do. But this isn't about our benefit or even about us. It's about helping out a friend. It's about making sure her innocent children aren't targeted by hunters because of their father's past crimes. Ben may have done awful things as Kylo Ren but that doesn't mean Rey and her kids should be punished for it. Considering she saved us all from the most powerful Sith lord that ever lived, I feel we owe her at least this much. Besides, is it not our job as servants of the Republic to protect innocent civilians and offer help where we can?"

Now it was Poe’s turn to remain silent, prompting Finn to continue in a softer, more pleading tone.

"I know my obsession with finding Rey has been driving a wedge between us these last five years. Believe me, I understand why you're hesitant to do this and you have every right to refuse me, given how often I've let you down. But before you make your final decision, I just wanted you to know one very important thing…it was never my intention to get together with Rey. Maybe at one point, I did want that, but it isn't the case now nor was it when I started searching for her. All I wanted was to bring her home safely, back to both of us so we could all be together again. I still do love her but…I know now we were never meant to be. Besides…I already had someone else by my side all this time. Someone fantastic who I wouldn't abandon or trade for anyone else in the whole galaxy. Especially when he's the New Republic’s finest, most attractive hotshot pilot and the all-around greatest guy I've ever known."

 _"Really?"_ Poe asked, now sounding cautious yet hopeful.

"Really." Finn nodded. "And I'm sorry I never let you know that before. You've done so much for me Poe and I've been so neglectful of both you and our relationship. When we meet up again, I hope you'll give me a second chance to remedy that and treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I want to start taking things seriously and make plans for our future together…if you'll still have me."

He could hear Poe's ragged breathing over the comm, making him wonder if the former pilot was gonna faint. _"Sorry, I just…wanted to make sure I wasn't just hearing any interference or random static…you're really serious about everything you just said?"_

"Definitely," Finn assured him. "Once I make sure Rey and her family are settled, I'm coming straight home to you and we're gonna do this relationship thing properly. I promise you that."

Poe laughed in disbelief over the comm. _"Well then, if that's the case…I guess I better make sure you get back here as soon as possible. I, uh…I know a couple of planets that'd be suitable for people trying to lay low. You'll definitely need a bigger ship though to bring them all there. One with an untraceable beacon so no wayward hunters can track them. I can forward you some credits if that'll help."_

"It would." Finn smiled. "Thanks, Poe. I knew I could count on you."

 _"Yeah well, you know me. I'm an all-around great guy."_ Poe said, and Finn could just picture his cocky smile even through the comm _. "So, are there any particular planets you'd want me looking at? I don't think Rey would be picky, but I assume it's fair to say we can rule out any places with sand."_

"That's for sure," Finn affirmed before a thought suddenly came to mind. "Actually, there is a place I know they would like…hang on I'll send coordinates."

Finn punched in some numbers and waited as Poe searched for it on the galaxy map.

 _"Umm, you sure about this_ ?" Poe asked skeptically. _"I mean don't get me wrong, it's a nice planet and all, but it's in the Mid Rim and run by the Republic. That may prove problematic."_

"I'm sure we can find a way to make it work without attracting any attention to them. Just got to find the right home that isn't somewhere crowded or in the middle of nowhere." Finn then smiled to himself. "And I think I might just know the perfect place."

* * *

Once everyone had finished dinner, Rey decided to dig through the piles of scrap metal BB-8 had reorganized, trying to put them back the way she originally had them. As a result, Ben was left alone to take care of the baby. Luckily, he didn't have to do it completely alone, as BB-8 stayed nearby to watch Leihana and would follow Ben around while he cared for her. The droid would even help get items like bottles and diapers when he needed them. Which helped a lot given how distracted Ben had been, dealing with his internal turmoils and emotions that, unfortunately, were having a bad effect on his interactions with Leihana.

While Ben did his best to take care of his new daughter, who was a surprisingly easy baby as Rey had said, there was still one major issue. Every time Leihana would look up at him with her glowing blue eyes, Ben would flinch and hastily look away. He didn't mean to react in such a manner and tried willing himself to look upon her as he did before. Unfortunately, just the sight of her bright, glowing eyes seemed to trigger some sort of nervous reaction in him. Leihana meanwhile, would whimpering and reach out for him with her blackened hand whenever he looked away, only for Ben to place her back in her cradle to get some distance.

Despite Rey's reassurance that things would turn out alright, Ben continued to worry for his youngest daughter and her future. Between her inability to use the force, her misshapen hand, and the strange quirks caused by the Bacta injection, Ben wondered how they were going to handle raising Leihana and teaching her the same way as her siblings. Especially if her difficulties proved too much of a hindrance for her to cope with. There were times when Ben would try looking at his daughter, hoping to see that the effects had worn off and her eyes had turned a normal color, like Rey's shade of hazel or his shade of dark brown. So far, it hadn't happened, making him wonder if the Bacta would remain in her system forever.

Another worry Ben had was for his other daughter. After Finn told him about Anni giving in to her inner darkness, he had nearly gone into panic mode, thinking that the incident with the droid would be the catalyst for her finally turning to the dark side. However, upon hearing Finn's explanation of how Ben's brief death had been the real thing to set Anni off, Ben nearly became paralyzed with fear. While Ben knew that he and Anni had a close father-daughter relationship, out of all possible scenarios, he never considered that her attachment to him might be what causes her to turn. It made him think of his grandfather and how the mere thought of losing his wife had sent him spiraling to the dark side. What if the same thing happened to Anni? What if something happened to him in the future and she completely lost it? Would Rey be able to handle Anni's powers on her own? And what about her siblings? Especially a non-force user like Leihana, who would be at the mercy of Anni's immensely strong force abilities. 

The more Ben thought about it, the more fearful he became of his children's futures once they left the planet. It got to the point where he debated whether he should continue training them or not, as he no longer felt confident in his teachings and worried his presence was doing them more harm than good. Maybe it'd be better if Rey took over full time while he watched from a distance, giving notes but not actively participating. Such a concept made Ben feel sick to his stomach though, as he felt like he was abandoning them. Not to mention letting Rey down after promising they'd train the kids together. He dreaded to think how upset the twins would be, once they learned he would no longer be sparring with them or teaching them any new techniques. Yet he couldn't see any other options. His very presence was putting their futures in jeopardy. Ben thought of discussing it later with Rey to get her opinion, but feared she would react strongly to him choosing the coward's way out of this situation. No matter what, he knew he was going to end up hurting someone, just as he always did, and wished he could make a decision without his family suffering for it. 

Before long, both suns had set and night had fallen upon the farm. Yet Ben was still no closer to deciding what to do in regards to his children's training.

Trying to distract himself, Ben gave Leihana a bottle before putting her to sleep in her cradle, all while under the watchful eye of BB-8. Rey had quickly passed out on their bed, exhausted from all the reorganizing she'd done, leaving Ben no opportunity to share his thoughts with her. Once the baby was quietly sleeping, Ben went to check in on his other children. Rey had insisted that the twins sleep in their own beds that night, much to their disappointment, but they relented after Rey told them a brief story about the time the Scavenger had beaten the Soldier in a foot race across a jungle moon.

When Ben entered the twin's room, he expected to see Anni and Fin still up and playing, as they often tended to do even after being told to go to bed. Instead, he was surprised to find them both sound asleep on Fin's bed together, sleeping back-to-back yet curled in the same position. Ben smiled at the sight but then let out an annoyed sigh as he noticed they hadn't cleaned their messes before falling asleep. Quickly and quietly, Ben cleaned up their toys, books, and coloring sticks, placing them into neat piles on the side of the room. 

As he gathered their drawings, Ben couldn't help but look at them, as they were a lot more detailed than usual. Most were crude stick figure versions of the kids, himself, Rey, and Finn during various points of the droid battle: The twins wielding their parent's lightsabers. Ben and Finn fighting together. Rey and Ben using lightning. There was even one of BB-8 using his taser on the assassin droid. The one Ben liked most of all was one Anni drew of their entire family together. It featured him, Rey, Fin, and Anni, but also the addition of Finn, BB-8, and Leihana, whose eyes she had colored blue.

It had warmed Ben's heart to see himself in a family picture for once. He had no memories of ever being in one with his parents and wondered if they kept any holo-photos of him around. And if there were any, did they still keep them after Ben had left.

Carefully Ben laid the drawings on top of their dresser. As he did, he spotted the flower Fin had given him earlier. Or at least, another one like it. Rey had told Ben about Fin using his healing powers to revive the once dead flower, showcasing how far the boy had come with his own abilities. At least Ben wouldn't have to worry about his son in that respect. Although like with Rey, he still worried whether Fin would be able to handle his twin with her burgeoning dark powers, while protecting his other sister who had none.

Picking up the flower, Ben remembered the message Fin gave him from his mother. It still baffled him how, even from beyond and despite all he'd done, she had still wished him well. It was at that moment, for the first time in years, Ben finally admitted to himself just how badly he wanted to see and talk with his mother.

"I miss you, mom," Ben said softly, gazing at the flower. "I wish you were here right now..."

"...I'm always here for you Ben."

Ben practically jumped out of his skin at the familiar voice. When he turned, he was shocked to see the force ghost version of Leia, just as he remembered her, standing in the middle of the room.

"Mom!?" Ben exclaimed.

Leia smirked at him. "Took you long enough."

Ben stuttered for a moment, quickly lowering his voice so as not to wake the twins. "How are-How did-what are you doing here?"

"You called for me, didn't you?" Leia said matter-of-factly. "Glad to know Fin gave you my message."

Ben glanced at the flower in surprise and then back at his mother. "You're really here?"

"Like I said, I've always been here Ben," Leia said as she approached him. "Waiting for you to reach out to me."

"But I…I don't understand." Ben's mind was spinning at this revelation. "Why haven't you ever spoken to me before?"

"You cut me off remember?" Leia said, frowning slightly. "Ever since you fell to the dark side, you've been blocking me from contacting you, both physically and through the force. I've tried desperately over the years to reach out, but you never answered me, so I eventually stopped trying. I figured when you were ready to talk, you would contact me in your own time. It wasn't until your battle with Rey five years ago that I knew I had one last chance to reach you, in order to save you both. An act which, unfortunately, took everything I had left in me."

Ben frowned, remembering the battle on Kef Bir and the last time he heard his mother's voice. Even though he felt her life force vanish, Ben still felt her presence linger with him all the way to Exegol, up until he used up all his power to revive Rey. He hadn't realized till after Rey revived him, that his mother's power had been keeping him alive up to that point.

"I admit, I was a little disappointed that you never tried reaching out to me after I passed." Leia continued. "I had hoped you'd have been more willing to talk once Rey brought you back to the light. But I understood your reluctance though, given how often you beat yourself up over your past actions. I thought perhaps I'd be content with waiting a little longer for you to come around..." A smile then crossed Leia's face. "Until your son called out to me that is. And it made me realize, perhaps more than ever, maybe now was the time to give you a little incentive."

Ben felt his heart clench, filling him with affection for his mother who had been waiting and trying to reach out to him all this time.

Leia then shifted her gaze from Ben to the bed where the twins slept, smiling proudly at them. "Such a sweet boy, my darling grandson is. Stubborn and determined like his mother. But also, sensitive and protective, like his father." She paused, glancing at Ben briefly. "Those traits will be useful one day, given how many lives he'll save when he's older."

"When he's older?" Ben paused, thinking over what Leia had said. "Wait, you can see his future?"

"Of course." Leia nodded. "I can see all my grandchildren's futures. Fin will become the most powerful healer the galaxy has ever known, and an accomplished Jedi in his own right. The discoveries he'll make in healing and medicine will save entire planets, but will also get him into some trouble as well. So long as he keeps his sense of humor and a hopeful, optimistic attitude, he'll be able to tackle and overcome anything. With some encouragement of course."

"That's incredible," Ben said, a spark of hope igniting inside him. "What about Anni? What does her future hold?"

Leia's shifted her gaze to her sleeping granddaughter, her smile now slightly faded and sad. "I see her future quite clearly actually. Although, I'm doubtful as to whether you're ready to hear it. I've sensed your fear for her Ben, and I can't help but worry that you'll react as I did in order to prevent such events from happening."

"What? No, mom, I have to know! Look I swear, I won't try to prevent or change anything, but I need to know so I can help her." Ben begged. "Please?"

Leia reluctantly nodded before turning back towards Anni. "I see darkness in her future…though it's different than how I saw it in yours. When she's older, she'll willingly seek it out in an effort to become a more powerful Jedi and to gain control of her growing abilities. In doing so, her powers will be elevated to heights never before seen by Jedi or Sith. She will use them to overthrow rulers and forge her own seat of power. As a result, her influence will spread and cause immense changes that will be felt throughout the galaxy."

Ben's face fell in despair. He felt his stomach plummet, his chest heaving as his breathing grew ragged, while his eyes pricked with unshed tears. He immediately thought back to his vision of a dark Rey, or who he thought was Rey, sitting on a throne by herself. Staring down at his daughter as she slept peacefully, Ben never felt more powerless in his life. 

"Then she will turn…I've already failed her." Ben looked shamefully at the ground, trying to hold back tears as his voice choked up. "I'm a horrible parent..."

"Oh, don't so dramatic. Of course, you haven't failed her." Leia said bluntly.

Ben looked up at her in surprise. "I haven't?"

"Not at all. While she may embrace the darkness, she will not let it consume her. Not fully anyway. There will indeed be times where she does go too far and becomes lost to it for a few brief moments. Luckily, she will always find her way back towards the light." Leia elaborated. "For you see, she has something you didn't have growing up."

"And what's that?" Ben asked.

Suddenly there was a loud cry as Leihana woke up. Ben immediately bolted towards his room, looking back briefly at his mother who gestured for him to go.

After a few moments, Ben came back holding the baby girl in his arms, bouncing her gently to calm her. BB-8 was right behind Ben and immediately hid back behind the door upon spotting Leia, beeping at Ben curiously.

"It's alright. Just having a family visit." Ben assured the droid. "Can you watch over Rey for me till I get back, just in case?"

BB-8 gave an uncertain response, but nonetheless beeped in compliance and rolled back toward their bedroom.

Leia approached Ben, smiling down at Leihana fondly as Ben calmed her down. "My rebellious little granddaughter. Oh, she is gonna be such a troublemaker when she's older."

"Troublemaker?" Ben asked in surprise.

"Oh, yes." Leia nodded. "Enjoy the peace now, cause once she starts walking, there's no stopping her. She'll be nothing short of chaos incarnate, causing trouble wherever she goes. So brace yourself, cause it's gonna be a bumpy ride."

"W-wait, so you're saying that she..." Ben stuttered nervously. "She's not gonna become a bad person, is she? Like a terrorist or an arsonist-"

"Of course not sweetheart. I assure you, her brand of chaos is in no way intentional or malicious…most of the time anyway," Leia added. "Let's just say that in time, she'll inherit your wife's love of collecting, and your propensity for making enemies."

"Are…are you sure we're talking about the same girl? About Leihana?" Ben asked, unable to believe what his mother was saying about his youngest daughter, who gurgled innocently against his chest.

"Oh, such a beautiful name you chose for her. And quite suiting too." Leia smiled at the baby, before continuing. "And yes, I am talking about her. You may underestimate her capabilities now, which is a big mistake by the way. But she will prove you wrong in more ways than you can imagine. Fear will definitely be a word that does not exist in her vocabulary."

Ben blinked several times, trying to comprehend what his mother was telling him, before the spark of hope returned. "So does that mean…she won't be held back by her quirks? Or her disability, or lack of Force abilities? That she'll be okay?"

"For the most part. She'll eventually find and make her own way in the galaxy, but will still encounter trouble more often than not. Similar to the kind you and your father used to get into a lot of the time." Leia nodded, giving him a coy, knowing look. "Remember when you were a boy, and you snuck aboard your father's ship while he was making that delivery? Then proceeded to take it for a joy ride when he wasn't looking?"

"Of course." Ben nodded. "Dad never let me forget how I took off without fully closing the hatch, causing half his cargo to get sucked out into space."

"Well with her, imagine that but times ten," Leia said, a mischievous, playful glint in her eye. "Serves you right, given all the trouble you caused your father and me."

Before Ben could respond, he heard a whimpering noise. He turned to see Anni, still sleeping but with her eyebrows furrowed and twitching back and forth, like she was having a nightmare.

Ben tried going toward her, but Leia stood in front of him. "Relax. She has what she needs."

Ben was about to protest when he noticed Fin turn over in his sleep. His eyes still closed, Fin placed his hand against Anni's head. After a moment, she stopped twitching and settled back into a peaceful sleep. Fin then moved his hand down to Anni's arm, gripping it as he snuggled against her and dozed off as well.

Ben blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"

"It's like I said. She has something you didn't have growing up," Leia said, looking pointedly from Fin to Leihana. "A sibling to help keep her grounded." 

Ben glanced at them both in surprise. "Wait, both of them? Leihana too? Even though she's not-"

"Told you not to underestimate her," Leia smirked. "It takes a special kind of sibling bond to light each other's way through the darkness. So long as they stick together, none of them will become lost."

Ben couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. He glanced fondly at his young daughter for a few moments before catching his mother's eye, noting that she was looking upon him with the same type of affection. Suddenly he felt like a kid again, eager for his mother's attention and approval, and doing whatever he could to get it. Only now, it was coupled with his eagerness to do right by his kids and to seek the advice he so desperately needed.

"I appreciate you telling me all this mom, really I do. But now I must ask... what should I do now that I know what's to come? Should I continue training Anni despite knowing she'll seek out the darkness, or let someone else teach her? And what about the others? How do I make sure they stay on the right path without ruining their future or making things worse for everyone?"

Leia looked at him sympathetically. "Let me tell you something I had to learn the hard way, son. You can't change the future. You can shape it however way you want, but if something is meant to happen, then it's going to. The best you can do is prepare yourself for when it does, and not let fear dictate your actions. I know how much you love and worry about your kids and how badly you want to protect them, which is why I told you about their futures. However, trying to fix or mold their destinies into a different outcome will only serve to hurt them and yourself down the line. Same can be said for stopping your training with Anni and distancing yourself from your kids, which I guarantee will be just as harmful. If you really want to save her and do right by all your children, you and Rey need to work together to prepare them. Give Anni and her siblings the tools they'll need to utilize their strengths and survive what's to come. It's the only way to ensure a better outcome for all of you."

"Are you saying all this because of your experience with raising me? Because of what happened when you sent me away as a kid?" Ben asked, a slight anxious tremble in his voice. "You knew I would turn, didn't you? You thought sending me away to Luke would prevent that from happening. Is that why you were hardly around me after I left?"

Leia let out a regretful sigh. "I sent you away...hoping to save your life. And I did it in a way that not only made things much worse, but also nearly caused me to lose you forever."

Ben paused at this revelation, allowing Leia to continue. 

"Before you were born, I too had trained to become a Jedi. But, by the time I was about to complete my training, I was met with a vision of you as an adult, meeting your end by the time I became a master. It scared me enough to where I thought cutting myself off from the force and letting you learn from someone else would prevent such a thing. But it didn't, and everything only got worse from there. Instead of saving you, I caused you unnecessary pain and anger, which only made you more vulnerable to Snoke and cemented your fall to the dark side. Once I lost you, I realized what an awful mistake I made. All those years we lost that we could've spent together, training and bonding. I could've prepared you better and helped you fight against those voices in your head… I was just grateful that Rey not only managed to complete my mission for me, but was able to change your fate through the strength of your bond. I'd hate to think what would've happened otherwise."

Ben felt his eyes sting, wet with unshed tears as he struggled to hold it together. He could also feel the dull flames of an old, familiar anger he'd held onto since his mother sent him away.

"You hurt me mom…a lot. You made me feel like garbage, tossed out for someone else to deal with. I always thought you and dad were afraid of me and that was why you didn't want me around. I understand now why you did it but still…I missed you. I wanted- no, _needed_ you to be there for me, even if we weren't training together. I…I just wanted to know that you cared."

"Of course I did, Ben. I still do." Leia said, pain in her eyes as she lifted a hand, placing it against his cheek to caress it. "I love you so much, son. And I'm so sorry for hurting you the way I did."

A tear finally slipped down Ben's face as he leaned into his mother's surprisingly warm touch. "I'm sorry too…for everything I put you through and all the horrible things I've done. To your friends, to your comrades…to dad…to everyone. I know I can never be forgiven or even begin to make up for any of it-"

"But I do forgive you, Ben," Leia assured him. "I already have a long time ago. And as for making up for it…all I ask is that you be a better spouse and parent than I was. Stand by your wife and give your children what they need to thrive. Together, they will save the same amount of lives that were lost during your time with The Order. Between you, Rey, and your children, I predict the five of you will finally at long last, bring much-needed balance to the force."

Fresh tears were now flowing down Ben's face, his body shaking as he nodded vigorously. Leia continued to caress Ben's cheek, wiping away a few of his tears as she gazed upon him with affection. 

"Remember, you can reach out whenever you need me. I'll always be here for you, no matter what." Leia assured him before adding. "Just so you know, I do think you're doing a wonderful job with raising your family. Keep this up, and everything will be alright."

"I will." Ben wiped away his tears with the back of his hand before looking gratefully at Leia. "Thank you for this… I love you, mom."

"I love you too Ben," Leia said, smiling fondly at her son. "Take care sweetheart."

With that, Leia faded away, leaving Ben alone with his sleeping children.

Not even a moment later, Rey appeared in the doorway looking concerned, with BB-8 right behind her. "Ben? Is everything alright? I thought I sensed someone else here."

Ben tried blinking away his tears but failed. Rey walked up to him, noting his sadness as she wiped away the tears with both her thumb. She then gently cupped his face before holding him close. Ben wrapped an arm around Rey, holding her and Leihana close as he silently basked in her comforting embrace. BB-8 glanced up at them worriedly, slowly rolling forward as it rested its head against both their legs in an attempt at comforting them.

After a short while, Ben finally spoke up. "I talked to my mom." He mumbled against her hair.

Rey stiffened and pulled back, looking at Ben in surprise. "You did? How did it go?"

Ben then proceeded to tell Rey about his conversation with Leia and their reconciliation. He also reiterated what she had told him about her visions, both past, and futures, regarding him and their kids.

"I admit, I did know about that prophecy she had about you," Rey said guiltily. "I don't agree with how she went about it, but I understand why. I'm just glad she was able to apologize as well as talk some sense into you, and that you both were able to find forgiveness with one another."

"Me too." Ben nodded. "It's funny, to think I'd been mad at her all this time for abandoning me at Luke's, and yet I almost went that same route thinking about my own kids' futures. But at least I now know better. We both know what to expect and can both prepare and train them for it. I won't let them become lost like I was. And I won't ever make them feel alone or unloved."

"I should hope not, considering I wouldn't have allowed such a thing." Rey smiled at him. "It's our job as parents to make sure they always have the support they need and are prepared for whatever may come. Even if they do become lost, at least we know they'll have us and each other to help guide them back."

Ben smiled as Leihana let out a loud cooing noise, trying to lift her head to look at him. For the first time that day, Ben did not flinch at the sight of her bright blue eyes gazing back at him and instead smiled wider at her than he had all day.

"You're gonna do great things one day, my little starlight. I'm sure of it." Ben nodded, lifting her up so they were properly facing each other. "I'm sorry how I acted earlier. Rest assured, I'll be there every step of the way to help train you. That way, you'll always be able to keep up with your siblings no matter what. Even if you do turn out to be a little troublemaker."

"Troublemaker?" Rey asked in amusement. "You're saying our good little princess will have a wild streak?"

"That's what her grandmother told me." Ben nodded, glancing fondly at his daughter. "Luckily, we'll be here to make sure she finds her way out of that trouble as well. Isn't that right starlight?"

Then, as if on cue, Leihana let out a cough and spit up onto Ben's shirt.

Ben looked down at his ruined shirt and blinked. "Should've seen that coming."

Stifling a laugh, Rey rushed to the dresser and got out a cloth. Quickly she cleaned Leihana's face, parts of her blanket, and what she could of Ben's shirt. BB-8 meanwhile raced off to find Leihana a clean blanket.

"Just had to prove me right, didn't you?" Ben asked the small baby, grinning slightly. "You're more like your siblings than I thought. Troublemaker."

Staring up at Ben with her mouth agape, the corner of Leihana's mouth pulled back into a wide imitation of Ben's crooked smile as she grunted at him.

"Oh dear," Rey said, looking upon her daughter in amusement. "That's not good."

"What isn't?" Ben asked.

"She's got that Solo smirk," Rey said, glancing at Ben with a mischievous look. "She's definitely going to be trouble."

"Yes, she is," Ben said proudly, lifting her up as he kissed both her cheeks, causing Leihana to let out a pleased gurgle. Holding her close, Ben then turned to Rey before pulling her to him and kissing her, the three of them huddled together as the twins slept peacefully nearby.

* * *

It was nearly noon by the time Finn had returned the next day. At first, the family got worried when they spotted an unfamiliar ship approaching the farm. Luckily, Finn made sure to make himself known and landed the ship safely just beside the scrap piles.

"Doctor Finn!" The twins shouted with glee as they raced toward the former stormtrooper, who was now walking down the ramp of the ship.

Grinning widely, Finn knelt as the twins threw themselves into his open arms, hugging him tightly.

"Why were you gone for so long?" Anni complained.

"We thought you died!" Fin whined dramatically.

Finn let out a laugh. "Calm down kids, I was only gone a day. Not even. Besides, I wanted to make sure I got those gifts I promised you."

"Gifts!?" The twins let go, immediately perking up in excitement. "Where??"

Finn pulled out two matching items from his bag. Both were tiny little models of land speeders, only with wind-up cranks in the back.

"Just turn this crank three times and…" Finn instructed as he wound up both and set them on the ground. Immediately the tiny speeder took off on the sand, much to the kid's amazement.

"See? Now go have fun racing each other around the farm." Finn smiled as the kids immediately chased after the speeders, waiting till they slowed down before winding them back up to start another race.

As the kids went off to play with their new gifts, Rey ran up to Finn, smiling widely while throwing her arms around him. "Oh, Finn! Thank goodness!"

Finn hugged her back, smirking. "Didn't realize I'd be missed so much around here."

"Well, you do seem to have that effect on people," Ben said, walking toward him while carrying Leihana.

Rey pulled away. "We were getting worried after you missed breakfast. I hope everything went alright in town and with Poe. Is this your ship?"

"Actually no. Mine's still back in Mos Eisley." Finn explained. "This one is yours."

Rey and Ben both did a double-take. "What!?"

"It's yours," Finn repeated, grinning widely. "I talked with Poe and managed to convince him to help you guys out. He forwarded me a whole bunch of credits, which I used to get you a new ship as well as food, supplies, and stuff for the baby. The gifts were an added bonus, of course."

Rey's mouth dropped in surprise as she pulled Finn back into a tight hug. "Oh my gosh, Finn I don't believe it! Thank you so much!"

"How'd you get Dameron to agree to this?" Ben asked curiously.

"It wasn't easy," Finn said hugging Rey back. "But as you've seen, I can be quite persuasive in the right circumstance. He's also in the process of getting y'all a real home, away from this miserable planet. I'm pretty certain you're both gonna like it."

"Really?" Rey asked, pulling away in surprise. "Well, that was fast. Where is it located?"

"I'd like to save that as a surprise," Finn said coyly. "At least until I know for certain that we got it. Bit of a complication came up in terms of claiming ownership. Speaking of which, I will need something from you guys to secure it. Specifically, from you Ben."

"What do you need?" Ben asked.

"A blood sample," Finn answered.

Both Rey and Ben looked at Finn with surprise and concern, with Rey looking particularly nervous. "A blood sample? To secure a house? That's absurd."

"I know it sounds strange, but for us to legally obtain this place for you both, I need to provide DNA proof," Finn explained. "I swear it will be an entirely confidential process. The people in charge happened to know and have worked with Poe in the past, which may or may not have involved certain illicit activities. So they know how to keep a secret like this and won't let anyone in the Republic find out about Ben."

Rey and Ben exchanged looks, as if having a mental conversation with one another, with Rey speaking up first. "It's up to you Ben. What do you think?"

Ben glanced at Finn. "You're sure this place is worth the risk? And that no one will find out about us?"

"Trust me, I really think you'll like this home," Finn assured him. "It's safe and secure, close enough to marketplaces so you'll always be near supplies but far enough away to have privacy, and it's the ideal place for your kids to grow up. Granted it's on a Republic-run planet, but with some precautions, you should be able to blend in seamlessly with the masses without raising suspicion. Poe assured me that he'd take care of any loose ends, so no one else besides the four of us will know." 

Swallowing nervously, Ben finally nodded. "Alright then. I guess I'll have to trust you on this. As long as you promise everyone will be safe."

"I swear to it on my life," Finn promised.

Ben nodded and then handed Leihana over to Rey. "Alright, let's do this."

Finn nodded as he guided Ben into the ship, with Rey close behind. It was a nice, spacious ship, with a decently-sized eating area, three bunkers, a fresher, and a state of the art driving consol, at least from what Ben could see.

Taking out a small device, Finn used it to prick Ben's finger and gather droplets of blood. Typing in coordinates, he then sent the sample through his comm over to Poe.

"So, what now?" Rey asked as Ben wrapped a bandage around his finger.

"Now…we wait," Finn said simply. "And hope that Poe manages to come through."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been dying to do the scene with Leia and Ben for a while now and wanted to do it right, hence the delay. It always bummed me out that the two never got any screen time together. Nor did we ever see what Leia's relationship with Ben was like before he turned, or get any resolution between them afterward. I've seen other stories do their versions of it so this one was mine. Consider it almost like the scene in Lion King, where Simba had that much-needed talk with his dad for one final time.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finn gets some good news and helps the family prepare to move to their new home...until someone unexpected shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays everyone! I intended to post this much earlier but once again, this chapter got away from me and I ultimately had to split it in two in order to tie everything up at a proper pace. Really wanted to post this on the 21st, which was the 1 year anniversary of The Rise of Skywalker (god that felt like ages ago). 
> 
> It's strange though. Even though I've rewatched the film, have acknowledged its flaws, and still resent it for taking Ben from us, I still can't bring myself to fully hate the film as others do. Yes, it's bad but I enjoyed it more than I did The Last Jedi and it gave me a lot of creative writing juice that I badly needed at the time, as I'm sure it did for writers of other SW fanfics whose material I've been following. Amazing how something bad can inspire so many good things (or as I like to call it, The Ed Wood Effect. Look it up you youngins).
> 
> Anyway, I'll be posting the next chapter shortly this week and leaving the epilogue for 2021. Enjoy what I have for now, and a big thank you to all the wonderful reviews I've gotten so far <3

Chapter 14 

It was later in the evening, after he finished having dinner with the family, that Finn finally received a message from Poe telling him to call back immediately.

Not wanting to worry the family in case there was bad news, Finn took the call in private, managing to patch Poe through onto the new ship’s comm. Thankfully, the news happened to be good, much to Finn’s relief.

According to Poe, after lots of coercion and some low-key bribing on his part, he managed to get Ben’s blood sample safely over to his sources, who thankfully asked no questions and quietly verified the results in a timely manner, before sending them to the proper facilities.

“So, does that mean they get the place?” Finn asked hopefully.

 _“Indeed, it does,”_ Poe said in a confident tone. _“Should take about a day or so for the paperwork to go through and become official, but once that’s done, the place is all theirs.”_

“Oh man, Poe, I can’t thank you enough!” Finn said gratefully. “They’re gonna be so excited once I tell them.”

 _“I’m sure they will be.”_ Poe agreed _. “Also, there’s another piece of news I thought you’d all be interested in hearing. I was in the process of finding the source who commissioned that assassin droid like you asked, when I found a lot of strange and suspicious activity in the inventory records. Things like rerouted deliveries, weapon order shortages, and other resources that have gone unaccounted for. So, I alerted the inventory unit and sent a few investigators to do some digging. Turns out, the programmers in the droid division were stealing weaponry and armor created for the Republic military to use in their droid upgrades.”_

“They stole military equipment?” Finn asked, his eyes lighting up in realization. “That explains why the droid had so much high-tech gear and weapons on it.”

_“Yeah, well that’s not all. Get this. Their reason for doing so: They were being paid handsomely by a group of former First Order members over the last several cycles.”_

Finn froze, “You got to be kidding me. There are MORE First Order guys out there?”

_“Yes, but not many. We managed to track down the location of their base through their correspondence with the programmers. Had the place raided by soldiers about a standard hour ago. Only two high ranking generals and a handful of underlings were present. The generals haven’t talked but the underlings spilled the plans very quickly. Apparently, their leaders ordered them to hack Republic records, looking for any remaining, high-rank members of the Order that have gone unaccounted for. The plan was to eliminate them and take control of what was left of the Order for themselves so they could start a new resurgence. By commissioning the assassin droids and using them to kill First Order fugitives, they’d gain the Republic’s trust through the droid's efficiency. Once that happened, they planned on placing a whole bunch of those IG units alongside high-ranking Republic figures as bodyguards. Then at the opportune moment, the leaders would then send a signal to the droids, who would assassinate those figures in mass, creating chaos and confusion, thus leaving the Republic vulnerable to attack.”_

“Holy hell…” Finn said in astonishment.

 _“Yeah. Who knew one of your side trips actually helped unveil a conspiracy within the Republic?”_ Poe said in amazement. _“Oh, and here’s the best part. After the threats were neutralized and all the First Order guys imprisoned, the higher-ups promoted me to Admiral for having uncovered the plot.”_

“Really? Poe that’s amazing! Congratulations!” Finn cheered.

 _“Thanks,”_ Poe said before he suddenly sounded hesitant. _“Although…you should know they asked me about the source that tipped me off. Said they were curious as to how I came across the information that led to me connecting the missing shipments to the Order members that commissioned the droid."_

"And what did you tell them?" Finn asked nervously.

_"I said that I got the idea after talking to you. Told them you stopped on Tatooine for fuel and supplies when you happened to run across the IG unit, which was in the process of hunting down and eliminating the elusive, First Order fugitive Kylo Ren.”_

“Wait, what!?” Finn exclaimed. “Poe you told them about Ben!??”

 _“No, I told them about ‘Kylo Ren’. Pay attention.”_ Poe elaborated specifically. _“By your account, according to me and reiterated to them, the droid had fought and killed Ren but then went haywire, trying to kill you as well when you attempted to take the body back as evidence. As a result of your fight with it, the droid ended up self-destructing, destroying itself and Ren’s remains along with it, while you barely got away with your life. You then contacted me and asked to know who sent the droid in order to explain the malfunction.”_

“And you expect them to believe all that without a body as proof?” Finn asked.

_“Oh, I got proof alright. Remember that blood sample you gave me? Told them you managed to salvage it from what little remained of Ren. As far as the Republic knows, the proof is legit, and your story checks out. Meaning they no longer have reason to go after Ben or Kylo Ren. All they need now is a piece of that droid for evidence against the programmers and this case is open and shut. Needless to say, you’ll be given a hero’s welcome when you return home.”_

“Wow…Poe you’re a genius,” Finn said in amazement.

 _“Ha! Think that’s the first time you’ve ever complimented my intelligence instead of just my looks.”_ Poe said, his smile evident even through the comm.

“Well remind me to pay you plenty more of both when I see you again.” Finn nodded.

 _“Which will be when, exactly?”_ Poe asked, an uncertainty in his voice. _“I told the higher-ups you were recovering from the fight and helping to relocate some refugees but didn’t give them an exact time frame for when you’d return.”_

“It shouldn’t take too long. Give me a week at most, just to make sure they’re all settled in.” Finn said.

 _“Oh. Okay_ .” Poe said, sounding a little disappointed. _“You sure you need a week to do all that? I mean, shouldn’t be too hard for Rey and Ben to unpack and figure things out…”_

“I still want to be sure though. Besides, their kids are kinda attached to me and would be upset if I left now. I don’t wanna leave them high and dry as soon as they land on an unfamiliar planet.” Finn explained. “It’s just a week. You can wait for me until then, right?”

Poe paused for a moment before answering _. “Yeah, sure I can. I mean, you’ve been gone for longer before. What’s another week of waiting?”_

Finn smiled. “I’ll be counting the days till I see you again.”

 _“Me too buddy,”_ Poe said, his voice now soft. _“Just please stay safe till then?”_

“It’s a promise,” Finn assured him.

* * *

The next morning, after Poe spent the night filling him in on a couple more details, Finn told Rey and Ben the good news about their new home as well as what Poe had found out about the assassin droid. Ben had been quite stunned to learn about the source that sent the IG unit after him, but was unsurprised by the specific generals who orchestrated the hit.

“I remember those men. They were in the Order long before I was. They never caused any problems under Snoke, but when I took over as leader, we were always at odds with each other. Both were part of General Hux’s circle, so they were probably as suspicious of my rise to power as he was. I image I was on their top priority list of unaccounted targets, given there’s no way they’d want me reclaiming my position. Not that I would’ve anyway.”

“Well, the good news is, aside from them and their lackeys, there should be no other significant threats leftover from the First Order,” Finn confirmed. “And even if there are, you’re under the New Republic’s protection now. Poe had told the higher-ups that the droid destroyed your home during the battle, so now you’re all considered refugees and have been added to the Protective Relocation Registry along with those displaced by the First Order. Far as the Republic is concerned, y’all are just another ordinary family trying to start over and rebuild.”

Rey smiled in relief. “Well, at least we wouldn’t be technically lying in that sense. But if our names are in the registry, won’t there still be a risk of someone learning about us?”

“Not really. They only list last names and the number of people in the family. No one’s gonna bat an eye at Naberrie, family of 5.” Finn elaborated. “Besides, all refugee information is kept anonymous so they can’t be tracked by any former regimens or war criminals.”

“What about my DNA?” Ben asked. “You said Poe had it sent to the Republic to convince them I was dead. Plus, that droid already had a sample of it, meaning the Order did too. What if someone from either side looks into it further and connects the dots?”

“Well, that’s the thing though. They had 'Kylo Ren’s' DNA on file." Finn specified. "As far as the Republic is concerned, Kylo Ren was killed by that assassin droid and is officially listed as deceased in their system, meaning any files or remaining evidence they have gets put in the archives, usually never to see the light of day again.”

“So that’s it then…Kylo Ren is officially dead,” Ben said in disbelief.

“On paper, yes. Metaphorically…double yes.” Finn assured him, taking out a device from his pocket and tapping into it as a confident smirk crossed his face. “However…it should be noted that one 'Ben Naberrie' is still alive and well. Furthermore, he now goes by two titles. One as a refugee protected by the Order Relocation Act. And the other…proud heir and owner of Naberrie Estates.”

A holo-projection then appeared out of Finn’s device of a beautiful mansion covered in flowers and surrounded by plant life and gardens.

Ben and Rey looked upon it in shock and awe.

“Wait…Ben isn’t that your grandmother’s mansion on Naboo?” Rey asked. “The one you showed me last time we visited?”

“Sure is,” Finn smirked. “It was bought by Padme Amidala shortly before her death and has been owned and kept up by the Naberrie family up until about twenty years ago…when the last living Naberrie relative declared that one Leia Organa-Solo would inherit the estate should no other Naberrie relation come forward to claim it. And according to Leia’s last known will, she declared that upon her demise, any remaining estates not owned by the city or planet it was on, would instead go to her next of kin.”

Ben looked up in shock. “So that’s why you needed my blood. To prove my legitimacy.”

“Exactly.” Finn nodded. “According to the ownership customs on Naboo, the mansion can only be claimed by someone who is either blood related to a Naberrie or Leia herself. And since you check the boxes on both… the mansion is rightfully yours.”

Rey let out a gasp of joy before hugging Ben, who still looked shell shocked. She then hugged Finn tightly. “Oh Finn, I can’t thank you enough for this!”

“Well thank Poe too.” Finn nodded hugging her back. “I don’t know how that man does it, but he sure has his ways.”

“Of course. Absolutely.” Rey nodded. “We owe you both, big time. If there’s anything the two of you need, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Finn nodded, before glancing at Ben. “You okay there, Ben?”

Ben hadn’t quite moved since hearing the news, looking dazed and overwhelmed. “Sorry, just trying to comprehend everything. I...I can’t believe you got my family’s mansion for us.”

“Well, I did. Paperwork should be all verified and everything. Starting tomorrow, y’all can start your new lives as residents of Naboo.” Finn stated.

“Wait, tomorrow?” Rey said, suddenly looking flustered. “But…that’s so soon. I mean, we have so much to do, like telling the kids, and packing up everything in the hut, then loading it all onto the ship-”

“Rey, we don’t own that much.” Ben pointed out. “Besides, I’m sure my family’s mansion will have all that we need. And what it doesn’t have, we’ll get once we’re on the planet.”

Rey let out a breath. “You’re right. Sorry, it’s just… feels strange having to leave after we’ve been settled in for so long. Feels like we’re going back to hopping planet to planet as we did before.”

“Well, hopefully, this planet will be the last one you move to,” Finn assured her. “As I said, I’ll make sure you and your family never have a reason to run again. So, think of this as going to your final, permanent home.”

Rey nodded, smiling tightly before quickly wiping a tear from her eye. “I guess we should tell the kids then. I’m not sure whether they’ll be excited or upset about leaving. Maybe both?”

“Only one way to find out,” Finn said, nodding towards the kids' room. 

* * *

Turned out, Anni and Fin were more than excited to learn that they were moving to a new planet. They were especially giddy over the prospect of riding in a large ship and going out into outer space to see the stars up close. While Rey and Ben worried that the twins didn’t fully understand that they were going to a new permanent home, they decided to let them be happy for now if it meant making the moving process easier. They even humored them when asked if they could all go back to visit the farm on occasion.

“Sure. Maybe one day.” Ben said, though he highly doubted it. Personally, he couldn’t wait to leave the wretched sand-filled planet behind and never look back again.

The family then spent the rest of the day going through their stuff and packing up all they had. Finn and BB-8 helped as well, bringing whatever heavy items they could lift out of the hut.

“Hey Rey, let me grab that,” Finn said, as he went to grab a box from her.

“Oh Finn, that’s not necessary,” Rey said, as she struggled to carry the heavy looking box.

Finn glanced into it and upon seeing the metal, scrap pieces, giving her a skeptical look. “Really? You’re bringing all this with you?”

“Just in case,” Rey said as Finn took the box from her. “I told you I had it-”

“Yeah well, if you’re gonna insist on bringing this heavy, useless junk, then I’m gonna insist on carrying it before you. Don't need you tripping before-" 

"Finn, wait you're going to-"

"Woah!” Finn then tripped over a dropped piece of scrap metal, causing him to drop the whole box and fall face-first onto the sand.

Rey stood over him with hands on her hips. “You were saying?”

“Not another word,” Finn said, spitting out sand as he struggled to get to his feet.

Rey shook her head when she noticed a small object had fallen out of Finn’s jacket pocket. “What’s that?”

Finn didn’t have time to react when Rey picked a small box off the ground. “No wait, that’s-”

Rey then opened it and gasped at the contents. Inside it, was a thin metallic ring. She looked up at Finn and smiled widely. “Finn!? Is this what I think it is??”

Finn got to his feet, wiping the sand off as he blushed hard. “Umm…yeah, it kinda is…”

“Oh my gosh, that’s fantastic!” Rey exclaimed excitedly. “Congratulations! Oh, Poe is going to love it!”

“I sure hope so...not exactly what I had in mind to get, but there weren’t many jewelry stands in Mos Eisley,” Finn said regretfully. “I wanted to find something special, that resembles the ring he wears on that chain around his neck. This was the closest I could get.”

“Well, I’m sure Poe would like it no matter…hang on.” Rey then examined the ring closely before looking hesitantly at Finn. “Um, Finn, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but…this isn’t a ring. At least not a typical, jewelry-type ring.”

“What are you talking about?” As he grasped Rey’s hand, pulling the box toward him to inspect the ring. “But the guy who sold me this said-”

“What’s going on here?”

Rey and Finn turned to see Ben emerge from the hut. His face fell when he saw Rey holding the ring box while Finn held her hand in both of his. Anger flashed across Ben’s face as he stomped toward them.

“Oh hell.” Finn immediately let go of Rey and backed away as Ben approached them.

Rey, realizing the misunderstanding, quickly stood between Finn and Ben. “Wait, Ben stop! It’s not what it looks like-”

“You have some nerve!” Ben shouted as Rey held him back. “Was this your plan all along? Were you playing some sick sort of long game-”

“The ring’s not for me, it’s for Poe!” Rey shouted.

Ben stopped in place, his anger immediately disappearing and replaced by confusion as he did a double-take at Rey and then at Finn. “Poe? Wait, you and Dameron?”

Finn swallowed nervously and nodded.

Ben’s eyebrows rose and he suddenly looked embarrassed as he cleared his throat and backed away from Rey. “Oh. Right, um, sorry about that. Sorry...”

Seeing Ben calm down, Finn slowly walked back toward them, taking the ring from Rey. “It’s okay. I was just showing Rey what I got while I was in town, since I wasn't exactly satisfied with it. Pretty certain the guy I went to gouged me for this, and Rey says it’s not even a real ring.”

Ben held out his hand, prompting Finn to place the ring box in his palm before he examined it closely. Ben glanced up at Finn, frowning before responding. “Hate to say it, but she’s right. This isn’t a ring, it’s an engine part. Looks like a speeder’s piston ring, just shrunk down and polished.”

“An XP-38 land speeder to be precise,” Rey added.

Finn’s face fell. “Are you serious?? How can you both-”

“Inside the inner ring, there’s faint writing.” Ben pointed out to him. “I don’t have the best grip on the language, but it roughly translates to being a serial number for that brand of speeder. Sorry Finn, but I think you’ve been scammed.”

Finn cursed under his breath. “Great…well I’m out some credits. I really wanted to get a ring before I returned to Poe.”

“Maybe this is a sign you need something better.” Rey pointed out. “What were you looking for specifically?”

“As I said, something personal, that means something to Poe...although, using a piston ring to propose with isn’t entirely a bad idea,” Finn said, glancing at the ring he bought. “Would be more appropriate though if I got it off an x-wing or a stealth fighter ship or-”

“An RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor?” Ben asked.

Finn looked at Ben in surprise. “Wait, how’d you know-”

“Poe’s parents and mine were friends, so we knew each other growing up,” Ben explained. “He was always going on and on about his mother’s ship, which was an A-wing, and how he was going to fly it one day. Never shut up about it, unfortunately.”

Rey’s face lit up in realization. “Wait you said the interceptor series? I know about those! BB-8!”

BB-8 rolled out of the hut, appearing at her side instantly. “Lead me toward the pile where you put the A-wing scraps. I need to find something immediately.”

BB-8 beeped in acknowledgment and rolled off toward the pile. Rey quickly turned to Finn and Ben. “I’m going to need a bit of time. Keep an eye on the kids until I’m done? Also, I need to borrow that ring, Finn.”

Finn glanced at her in confusion but nonetheless, handed over the fake ring and its box. Smiling, Rey took off after BB-8, leaving both men to wonder what she was up to.

* * *

The next day was very busy as Rey, Ben and Finn finished gathering all the packed possessions to bring onboard the ship. As Ben said, they really didn’t have much to bring, aside from Rey’s large scrap piles, which she reluctantly agreed had to be left behind.

Once everything had been gathered outside the ship, Rey went to retrieve the special item she had been working on. She had spent much of the previous day working on it while Finn and Ben finished the packing, even getting out her heavy-duty welding tools which she used well into the night. When she returned, Finn was greeted by a smiling Rey who held up his ring box toward him.

“I hope you find it a suitable enough replacement,” Rey said, trembling with excitement. “I replicated the size and width you had for the other ring, added a few designs and personal touches, cooled it overnight, so now it’s ready to be placed on Poe’s finger.”

Finn opened the box and gazed upon the new ring, his eyes widening in amazement as he smiled widely at Rey. “This is fantastic! It’s exactly how I wanted it to look, but even better!”

“Read the inscription,” Rey said smugly.

Finn glanced back down, reading the inside of the ring, his face softening as he smiled appreciatively at Rey. “It’s perfect. A little cheesy but perfect. Thank you, Rey.”

“After all you’ve done for me and my family, it was the least I could do for you,” Rey said gratefully. Closing the box, Finn gazed upon Rey in appreciation before pulling her into a tight hug, which she immediately returned.

“Just don’t forget about me once you’re a married man raising a dozen mini-Poe’s alright?” Rey said, grinning against his shoulder.

“Never.” Finn smiled as he pulled away. “Besides, I might need you to give me advice on how to raise those mini-Poe’s, as well as babysit once in a while. Assuming y’all don’t mind the extra mouths.”

“Not at all.” Rey shook her head. “Something tells me our kids are going to become close friends in the future. Especially if they’re force-sensitive like you.”

“I certainly hope so.” Finn nodded. “They're definitely going to need someone to help train them anyway. But first thing's first. I have to get you all off this planet and onto a better one. The sooner I do that, the sooner we can discuss Jedi training...hopefully starting with my own.”

“Which reminds me,” Rey then unclipped her lightsaber and handing it to Finn. “Here. Just in case you run into trouble.”

Finn looked in surprise as he took the lightsaber from Rey. “You sure? I mean, this is your weapon from Luke-”

“And now it’s yours.” Rey smiled. “At least until you can build one of your own. You’ll need a lot of training before that happens though.”

“That is true." Finn's face lit up as he gazed upon the weapon. "In that case, I guess I can borrow it for a little while. At least until you and I start our lessons anyway.”

“Actually…I won’t be the one teaching you.” Rey smiled coyly. “Not yet anyway. I’m going to need some time with Leihana and the kids, helping them adjust to the new planet. In the meantime though, I’ve found an excellent teacher to help train you that I think you'd work well with and benefit greatly from.”

Finn looked confused but before he could ask, Rey glanced over her shoulder to watch as Ben walked towards them, looking almost nervous and self-conscious.

“Hey,” Ben nodded at Finn before turning to Rey. “So, uh…did you tell him?”

“Was just about to,” Rey said, smiling at him.

“Tell me what?” Finn asked, looking between the two in confusion.

Ben awkwardly ran a hand through his hair. “Rey and I were talking and well…I was thinking that…you and I fought pretty well together against that droid. Aside from her, no one else I’ve fought alongside can keep up with my speed and skill level. Granted, I’ve never had an adult padawan before so there’d be a bit of a learning curve for us both. But if you’re willing to be patient with me, I’d like to help you realize your full potential in the force…if you’ll have me as your master that is.”

Finn’s eyebrows rose in surprise at Ben’s offer. Ben waited patiently, standing anxiously in place as Finn thought to himself before speaking.

“I admit, I wasn’t expecting this nor did I ever consider it…but you do have a point. We do fight well together, and I’ve seen first-hand what a good teacher you can be.” Finn said before adding. “However…two things before I can accept.”

“Name them,” Ben replied.

“One. No Jedi mind trick stuff. I know that’s your specialty and all, but I think I’d be perfectly content never having to read another person’s mind again or knowing how to bend them to my will.”

“Fair enough.” Ben nodded. “And the second thing?”

“That Jedi title needs to change. No way in hell am I calling you ‘master’.” Finn shook his head. “I may have served under you once, but now I’m the high ranking official here. So, I think something more suitable is needed.”

“Right, of course.” Ben agreed. “Anything you had in mind?”

Finn paused, looking upon Ben for a moment before offering his hand. “How about just ‘friend’?”

Ben paused for a moment before smiling and taking his outstretched hand and shaking it. “Perfect. I look forward to training you, my friend. Make sure you take care of my wife’s saber, cause you’re gonna need it.”

“I will. I look forward to it.” Finn agreed, suddenly feeling more eager than ever to start his training.

* * *

While the adults finished loading the ship, the twins played with their baby sister, who laid in a make-shift basket while BB-8 chaperoned nearby.

“No, Leihana. You have to hold your hand up like this!” Anni said, lifting her sister’s hand up and spreading her fingers out, holding her own hand up for comparison. “See? That’s how you use the force! Like that.”

Leihana then grasped Anni’s hand, pulling it down to her mouth as she began sucking on her fingers.

“Eww!” Anni exclaimed pulling away as she shook the drool off her fingers.

“I don’t think Lei-Lei’s interested in using the force.” Fin noted as he watched his baby sister, who was now chewing on her fist. “I think she’s just hungry for hands.”

“Gross,” Anni said in disgust as she wiped her hand on her shirt, looking at her sister wearily. “One day I’ll show how to do it right Leihana. Then all three of us can have force battles, and shoot lightning, and duel in lightsaber fights together. Right Fin?”

Fin was about to respond when something in the sky caught his eye. “What’s that?”

Suddenly a ship appeared in the sky, flying down towards them.

Fin’s face fell in fear as he raced off. “Mommy! Daddy!”

Thinking quickly, Anni bent down and picked Leihana up out of her basket. She shielded the now crying baby, looking anxiously back at the ship before following after Fin. Meanwhile, BB-8 rolled forward, looking up at the ship inquisitively before heading toward the hut.

Rey had just set down a box in the ship when she felt a rush of fear from her children. Quickly she ran down the ramp when Fin raced up to her, grabbing her firmly around the waist. “Mommy, mommy, a strange ship is here!”

Rey looked up at the sky, her eyes widening in terror as she spotted what appeared to be a Republic X-wing ship. “No…Ben!”

Ben immediately came racing down the ramp as well, looking just as concerned. “Rey, what’s wrong? I thought I felt-”

His face fell in shock as he looked up at the sky. “They found us.”

“We have to leave now!” Rey said quickly turning to Fin. “Where are your sisters?”

“Right here, mommy!” Anni said as she caught up to them, holding a crying Leihana in her arms.

Rey took the baby from Anni and handed her over to Ben. “Get them inside the ship quickly and start it up. I’ll try to buy you some time.”

Rey then raced off before Ben had a chance to protest. Looking up as the ship got closer to landing, Rey raised her hand, using the force to stop the ship's descent and causing it to hover in midair.

While that was happening, Finn emerged from the hut with a box in hand, looking around in confusion. “What’s going on? Thought I sensed something-”

BB-8 then raced up to Finn, beeping frantically, as it gestured to the hovering ship as Rey kept it at bay. Recognizing the starfighter, Finn’s face morphed into panic as he dropped the box and ran across the sand. “Rey, wait!”

Maintaining her grip, Rey clenched her fist, causing one of the ship's wings to bend and break off. She then raised both hands with the intent to crush the ship when Finn grabbed her from behind.

“Rey, stop!” Finn yelled out. “That’s Poe’s ship!”

“What!?” Rey turned to him.

With that break in concentration, the ship suddenly dropped down and landed hard in the sand. Both turned at the sound of the crash, with Rey covering her mouth in shock while Finn bolted toward the vehicle.

“Poe? Poe!” Finn ran up to the cockpit when suddenly it sprung open, emitting a small amount of smoke.

A man with curly black hair and a beard, dressed in a starfighter outfit stumbled out. Coughing loudly, he waved away the smoke as he got to his feet. “Well, that was a heck of a greeting!”

“Poe, you’re alright!” Finn smiled in relief.

“Finn?” Poe looked at him properly, his face breaking into a huge smile. “Finn buddy!”

Immediately the two men embraced, holding each other tightly. Finn grasped the back of Poe’s head, holding him close as he smiled gratefully.

“What are you doing here? How’d you even find me?” Finn asked as he pulled away.

“Well, you did say you were on Tatooine. As to how I found your exact location, well, long story short, I may have put a tracking device in BB-8 years back, just so I'd be able to track you on your side missions.” Poe explained somewhat sheepishly. “Sorry but didn't want to be too careful given your tendency to run off. Speaking of BB-8! Hey little buddy!”

BB-8 immediately rolled over to Poe, who embraced the little droid which beeped happily. "Was worried about you little guy! Hope you've been keeping Finn out of trouble like I asked?" 

BB-8 beeped in acknowledgment, seeming to launch into an explanation before turning around and gesturing behind him.

Poe looked up, his face now frozen in shock as if he’d seen a ghost. Looking in that direction, Finn noticed as Rey approached rather cautiously as if Poe were the ghost she was seeing.

“Hi, Poe,” Rey said, hesitance in her voice. “It’s been a long time. Sorry about your ship.”

Poe seemed to snap out of his initial shock, a huge smile overtaking his face. “Rey!? Oh my gosh, it’s really you!”

Before Rey could respond, Poe rushed over and scooped her up in his arms, twirling her around in the air much to her surprise.

From the ship, Ben and the kids were watching the exchange take place. When Poe picked Rey up, Ben and Anni immediately shared the same stern, angry look, while Fin merely looked confused. But while Ben couldn’t do anything with Leihana in his arms, Anni grabbed her practice saber out of a nearby box and racing out toward Rey before Ben could stop her.

Poe then set down Rey, who seemed a tad dizzy but otherwise happy over their reunion.

“Man, you look great!” Poe exclaimed, glancing her over. “Did you do something with your hair?”

“Sort of.” Rey smiled bashfully as she tucked a stray white hair behind her ear. “I see you have a beard now.”

“Yeah well, as the Republic’s newest Admiral, I thought I’d go for a more distinguished look,” Poe smirked, stroking his new beard proudly as he gazed upon Rey. “Man, I can’t believe you’re here! Finn, buddy, I owe you an apology for doubting you. And probably money too, but I’m not paying it.”

“Mommy!”

Poe then noticed Anni running towards him and smiled in amusement. “Well, well. What do we have here?”

Rey noticed Anni approaching and greeted her with open arms. Anni immediately ran into them as Rey lifted her up, holding her as she introduced her properly. “Poe, I’d like you to meet my daughter Anni. Anni, this Poe. He’s an old friend of mine and Finn’s.”

“Hey, Woah, hold on. I may be the oldest one here but I’m not that old.” Poe said holding up his hands before smiling and waving at Anni. “Nice to meet you, little lady. You’re like a mini version of your mom. Cept for that Solo glare you’re giving me right now.”

Sure enough, Anni was glaring suspiciously at Poe, her mouth drawn in a tight flat line as looked over the new stranger with apprehension.

“So, where’s the rest of the family that Finn’s been telling me all a…bout…”

Poe’s smile vanished as he looked over Rey’s shoulder. Looking back, Rey watched as Ben approached them, holding Leihana in one arm while gripping Fin’s hand with the other. While Fin looked nervous, Ben’s face mirrored that of Anni’s as he regarded Poe suspiciously. Anni then wiggled out of Rey’s grip as Ben came near, sliding to the ground as she stood by her father’s side, clutching his leg with one hand while holding her practice saber with the other.

Poe then slowly walked toward Ben, regarding him with curiosity as well as apprehension. Finn watched nervously as the two men glared silently at each other. For a moment, it seemed Poe wanted to say something, but then noticed the baby in Ben’s arms and the scared little boy currently hiding behind him and thought better of it.

Instead, he merely tilted his head upward in greeting before cocking his head to the side. “So, Ben…still alive I see?”

“Obviously,” Ben replied simply, keeping his glare fixated on Poe. “Nice of you to drop in unannounced.”

Poe nodded, disregarding the comment. “Gotta say I was rather surprised when I heard about you being…well-”

“I get it. No need for elaboration.” Ben responded quickly before changing the subject. “I supposed I should thank you, given Finn said you’re the reason we got the home on Naboo as well as the ship.”

“Yeah well, I did it more for Rey and the kids.” Poe made clear. “Wanted to make sure they had some semblance of safety, given who they hang out with. I gotta say, you really lucked out here pal…must be nice getting to start over, not having to face any consequences for your past misdeeds. Good thing Kylo Ren's officially not around anymore, right?”

Anni blinked at the familiar name, glancing at her father, who visibly stiffened in response.

“Watch it, Dameron,” Ben said, clenching his jaw as he placed a protective hand around Fin’s shoulder, the boy now holding onto him tightly.

“Yeah, yeah. Just be grateful your kids are here,” Poe said, taking a step forward as he glared back at Ben. “Otherwise, I’d give you some choice words I’ve been dying to say-OWW! Hey-OUCH!”

As soon as Poe stepped toward Ben, Anni immediately swung her wooden saber, striking Poe in the leg and whacking him repeatedly until he backed off.

“You stay away from my daddy, you old meanie!” Anni shouted at Poe before Rey and Finn quickly intervened. Finn pulled Poe away while Rey took Anni’s saber from her, scolding her lightly and forcing her to apologize.

“Sorry…” Anni muttered as she quickly went back to stand by Ben, clutching his leg. Ben looked appreciatively at his daughter, patting her head and muttering a quiet ‘thanks sweetheart’ so Rey wouldn’t hear.

“Damn, that stings!” Poe hissed, hopping on one leg as his other knee started to swell. BB-8 quickly looked over Poe's leg before whistling at Finn.

Finn nodded, glancing at Poe's leg before kneeling down. “Let me help with that.”

“Wait what are you-”

Finn rolled up Poe’s pant leg and placed his hand against his leg. Closing his eyes, he concentrated for a moment. Poe’s face morphed from confusion to surprise as he suddenly was able to put more weight on his leg.

“Hey, the pain’s gone! Finn, how’d you do that?” Poe asked.

“You’d be surprised how much I’ve picked up over the last couple of days.” Finn grinned coyly, ignoring the numbness in his own leg.

Rey walked up to Poe. “I’m sorry about that. Anni’s normally not that aggressive. She’s just been through a traumatic experience with that droid though, so she’s understandably wary around strangers. I’d still appreciate you not taunting my husband like that, especially in front of our children. Not unless you want more than just a bruised knee.”

“No, I don’t. And you’re right. I shouldn’t have done that.” Poe said nodded in agreement. “My apologies. Seeing Ben just brings up some…emotions I thought I’d gotten over. But it won’t happen again, I promise.”

“I understand. Thank you.” Rey nodded back. "Shall I get you something for your leg?"

"No need. I already took care of it." Finn pointed out, getting to his feet.

“Really? My, you learned fast." Rey said, looking impressed before turning back to Poe. "Any food or drink from the cooling unit I could offer, perhaps some water-”

“Thanks, but that’s not necessary.” Poe waved his hand in refusal. “I know you’re all busy packing and getting ready to head to Naboo, so I don’t want to take up any more of your time. However, I would like to do an inspection of the place, you know tie up any loose ends around here just in case. Once I make sure you leave no trace of yourselves behind, I'll help ensure that you’re all safely on your way without issue.”

Rey smiled and nodded. “Thanks, Poe, I’d appreciate that. Let's get started shall we?”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey, Ben, and their family say their final goodbyes to Tatooine, while Poe reveals his true motive for coming to the planet.
> 
> This chapter is rated A for Adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter count went up again, but not for the usual reason. Unfortunately, due to a series of events leftover from the dreaded 2020, I must now find new living arrangements within a short amount of time. Needless to say, this has affected my writing mood and overall mood in general. But I wanted to post something, so here's half the chapter I intended to post last week. Will post the second half once things become a little more stable for me. One way or another, this fic will get done. Happy New Year and my appreciation to you all out there for your patience.

** Chapter 15 **

Less than a standard hour later, all of the family’s possessions were finally loaded onto their new transport ship, now adeptly named _The Scavenger._ Poe recommended it, saying it was bad luck to fly a nameless ship, not to mention suspicious, and that they definitely needed the luck on their side. Rey and Finn had also finished helping Poe repair his X-wing so that it was flyable again, with Rey giving it a tune-up as an added apology for wrecking it.

Ben, meanwhile, had loaded all the broken and burned parts of the IG unit onto the mini speeder and drove it out into the desert. Poe had advised them to destroy any and all remains that were left of the droid, mainly as a precaution to prevent any accidental discoveries after they left. He did make sure to keep one of its broken arms though as evidence, both for the Republic to use against the programmers as well as proof that the droid had indeed ‘assassinated’ Kylo Ren. With that in mind, Ben drove the speeder and the droid parts over to the nearest Sarlaac pit, dumping all that remained of the IG unit into the sand creature’s teeth lined gullet, thus eliminating all traces of his would-be assassin once and for all.

Once Ben returned, he and Rey did a final inspection of the hut and farm to make sure they hadn’t overlooked or forgotten anything. Thankfully, the place seemed to be all clear, looking as bare as when they first arrived.

Exiting the hut for the last time, Ben and Rey took a brief moment to stand outside of it, embracing the reality that they were finally leaving the moisture farm for good. While the farm had originally started as a temporary hideout for them and their kids, in time they came to acknowledge it as the first real home either of them has had in a while.

“Feels so strange, knowing we’re leaving here for good,” Rey said, looking upon the hut in contemplation.

“I know.” Ben nodded, standing behind her as he caressed her shoulders. “We’ve been trying to leave this place for so long…now that we are, it almost doesn’t feel real.”

Rey paused for a moment. “I wonder if this is how Luke felt when he left.”

“Doubtful, given how often he used to grumble about this place,” Ben said. “Can’t say I blame him though. Probably the only thing he and I ever agreed upon.”

Rey smiled to herself. “This is the longest you and I have stayed in one place since running off together. Not since Jakku have I stayed anywhere long enough to really considered it home. I’ll admit, a small part of me will miss it.”

“Understandable, given it’s the home we raised our family in,” Ben said, kissing her shoulder. “But now we’re off to a new home. A better home. One where we’ll make even better memories.”

Rey glanced back at Ben and smiled, slipped her hand over his, and squeezing them gently. Ben gazed upon her lovingly before capturing her lips with a sweet kiss.

“Come on mommy! Come on daddy!” Anni and Finn yelled from a distance, jumping up and down excitedly. “We want to go into space!”

Ben and Rey broke their kiss, sharing an affectionate look. They glanced at the farmhouse one last time, before turning toward their ship to make their long-awaited departure.

As the twins ran around excitedly, eager to begin their space adventure, Finn, Poe, and BB-8 were busy taking care of Leihana. 

Poe had tried in earnest to redeem himself to the kids to make up for earlier, starting with being on cordial terms Ben. It was an uneasy truce, with them mostly talking business, but at least it was a start. The kids noticed this and while weary at first, eventually came to accept Poe’s presence with some prompting from Finn, although Anni still eyed Poe with suspicion whenever he was around Ben. 

With the air cleared, Poe had immediately insisted on holding Leihana, having been eager to do so since his arrival on Tatooine. After Finn made him clean up properly, Poe carefully held the baby girl against him, all while rocking her gently and singing a silly song to her.

“ _Pop! Pop…pop! Waaiiiiting for the moon to drop! Drop…drop!_ … hey I think she likes it! Don't ya you little cutie pie? Yes, you do!”

Finn watched with intrigue, unable to get over how deliriously happy Poe looked with a baby in his arms. The pilot kept throwing him excited smirks and continued singing the ridiculous tune as he gazed upon Leihana with a parental affection Finn had never seen before. He didn’t seem bothered at all by her bright blue eyes when she stared up at him, or her two tiny, blackened fingers which gripped onto his larger finger as she laid her head against his shoulder. It made him wonder if Poe would act the same way with their own kids one day. Subconsciously, Finn hoped so and fiddled with the ring box in his jacket pocket, more eager than ever to give it to Poe so he could make those thoughts a reality.

“Alright, time for us to take off at long last,” Rey said as she approached Finn and Poe with her arms held out. “I’ll take my baby back please.”

“Aww man, you sure I can’t keep her a little longer?” Poe asked, looking fondly at the baby girl. “Least until I can get her to say ‘Poe’ as her first word?”

“Dameron…” Ben said in a warning tone.

“Yeah, yeah relax. I’m not gonna steal your kid.” Poe said, handing Leihana over to Rey. “Not yet anyway. I’ll wait until she’s old enough for me to teach her how to fly.”

“She already has a teacher, thank you,” Ben stated, glaring at Poe.

“What you? No offense Ben, but which of us won the most speeder races as kids?” Poe asked smugly. “Or was the first to drive their mom’s A-wing without a chaperone?”

Ben looked like he was going to retort angrily, until Rey grasped his hand, interrupting Ben’s train of thought and calming him down enough so he didn’t respond.

“Thank you, Poe, for all you’ve done for us,” Rey said, squeezing Ben’s hand so that he nodded in agreement. “As I told Finn, if there’s anything you need from us, please don’t hesitate to ask. We owe you a lot.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Poe nodded. “For now, just focus on getting to Naboo safely. Finn and I already put in the coordinates and installed the cloaking device, so it’s up to you guys to do the rest.”

Rey nodded before turning to Finn. “Did you want a lift back to your ship before we depart?”

“No that’s alright. I can squeeze into Poe’s ship for the short ride.” Finn shook his head. “We’ll be right behind you.”

Rey nodded, then shifted Leihana in her arms before giving Finn one last hug. “We’ll see you on Naboo then. Please be safe.”

“Of course. See you there.” Finn said hugging back and giving Leihana a small pat on her head.

Ben walked forward extending his hand, “See you soon Finn. May the force be with you.”

“Back at ya.” Finn nodded, shaking his hand before the twins’ tackle hugged his sides.

“Make sure you follow us, okay Doctor Finn?” Anni said, looking up at him in earnest. “Don’t get lost out there.”

“Yeah, and don’t disappear either,” Fin added. “Or we’ll make sure daddy finds you again.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Finn chuckled, ruffling their hair. “Now go have a fun space adventure you two.”

The kids nodded and immediately started racing toward the ship, Fin stopping to yell out “Come on BB-8, let’s go!”

BB-8 went to follow but then hesitated. The kids stopped, with Anni calling out, “Hurry up BB-8! We’re about to go into space!”

BB-8 looked at the kids, then back at Finn and Poe and regretfully shook his head.

“Anni, Fin, BB-8 isn’t going with us,” Rey said regretfully. “You need to say your goodbyes to him too.”

“What? But he’s our droid!” The twins protested.

“No, he’s Finn and Poe’s droid.” Ben pointed out. “You’ll see him again soon, but he’s not ours to keep.”

The kids immediately moaned in disappointment, pouting and sulking as they sadly walked back and hugged BB-8, who whistled sadly in reply.

“Well, ya know…” Poe spoke up. “I don’t think there’d be any harm in letting BB-8 stay with you guys for a little while. Least until you're all settled into your new home.”

“Really??” The twins perked up.

“As long as it’s okay with your folks that is,” Poe said, glancing up at Ben and Rey.

Ben and Rey exchanged looks, with Ben nodding before Rey smiled and nodded as well. “Alright then. BB-8 will stay with us for the time being.”

The kids immediately cheered and high fived each other. BB-8 meanwhile, seemed confused, turning toward Poe who he beeped and whistled at with concern.

“Hey relax. It’s not like I’m going where you can’t find me.” Poe said, patting the droid’s head. “I’ll still stop by to check in of course. Besides, someone’s gotta keep those kids in line. May as well be you.”

BB-8 beeped in acknowledgment before turning his attention toward Finn, who knelt down to address the small droid. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see. I know Poe gave you orders to watch over me while I was away, but those days are over now. I won’t be drifting far from Poe like that again anytime soon. But these kids need you though, especially the little one. Think you can handle them for the time being?”

BB-8 beeped enthusiastically, tilting its head against Finn’s palm before rolling back over to the twins. Together the three of them headed toward the ship, eager to begin their space adventure.

Anni paused on the ramp, looking back toward Poe as she smiled brightly at him for the first time and waved. “Thanks, Mister Poe! Sorry I called you a big, old meany!” She then ran into the ship before Poe could respond.

Rey smiled back at him. “Looks like she’s warmed up to you.”

Poe let out a laugh. “Hey, as long as she’s not hitting me with a stick anymore, I’ll take it.” He shrugged while looking secretly pleased.

Rey then hugged him goodbye as well, before whispering into Poe's ear. “You’ll take care of him for me, won’t you? Please? He means the galaxy to me.”

“I know how you feel. And I will.” Poe nodded as he pulled away, both sharing a look of understanding.

Together Ben and Rey, with Leihana held tightly in her arms, followed their kids and new droid onboard the ship. Ben was about to board the ramp after Rey when Poe called out to him.

“Hey, Ben!”

Ben paused, looking toward Poe. “Yes?”

Poe paused for a moment, looking hesitant before he spoke. “I just wanted to say…well, thanks for saving Rey and keeping her safe all these years. You didn’t do half bad by those kids either. I think Leia would be proud of you.”

Ben said nothing for a bit, taken slightly off guard by Poe’s words before his face softened and he nodded in gratitude, which Poe promptly returned.

With that, Ben shut the hatch behind him and powered up the ship. Finn and Poe watched as the ship roared to life, rose into the air, and turned toward the sky before taking off into the atmosphere.

As Finn watched them go, he felt a twinge of worry but was otherwise hopeful and relieved. Despite all odds, he had managed to fulfill his promise to Rey, by getting her and her family off Tatooine and onto a safer planet. While confident they’d make it to Naboo without incident, he couldn’t wait to meet back up with them again and see them settled in safely.

“I’m sure they’ll be alright,” Poe spoke up, having apparently read Finn’s thoughts. “Rey’s tough and so is Ben. They won’t let anyone or anything hurt their kids or each other.”

“Don’t I know it.” Finn nodded before glancing at Poe. “I’m glad you let BB-8 go with them. Still surprised by what you said to Ben back there though, given how you acted toward him earlier.”

“Yeah well, I figure if I wanna be a part of Rey’s life again, as well as her kids, I should try to make some semblance of peace with Ben.” Poe sighed. “I know we used to be friends and all, but after everything that happened in the war, all those unresolved feelings of anger and betrayal…it’s gonna take me some time getting over all that and onto more friendly ground with him.”

“I understand that.” Finn nodded. “Heck, up until a few days ago, I probably would’ve shot him on sight had I run into him first instead of Rey.”

Poe let out a laugh, glancing sideways at Finn who laughed as well. Just then Poe’s face became serious.

“Listen, I…I wasn’t completely honest about why I’m here,” Poe said as he turned toward Finn. “Don’t get me wrong, I did indeed want to make sure Rey and her family got off the planet safely without leaving any evidence behind but…I mainly came here for you.”

“For me?” Finn asked.

Poe nodded, looking somewhat bashful. “I know you said you’d be back in a week but, after everything you confessed on the comm the other day, I really couldn’t wait any longer. I had to see you.” Poe said sincerely. “I missed you too much to be away from you any longer. And if I’m being quite honest…I really don’t want us ever staying apart for long periods of time like that ever again. At least in this capacity.”

Finn’s heart rate spiked. Suddenly it occurred to him. They were alone. Together. Poe was pouring his heart out. This was the perfect moment. Granted he wished it were in a different location, but now was as good a time as any.

“I missed you too Poe.” Finn nodded, slipping a hand into his pocket. “I’ve been thinking a lot about our conversation actually…”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about that conversation too,” Poe said, conveniently looking away for a moment and allowing Finn to covertly take out the ring box. “All those things you promised…”

“I did promise you a lot, didn’t I?” Finn nodded holding the box tightly in hand.

“You did.” Poe nodded, still looking away as he stuck his hands into his pockets. “And it occurred to me that if you really want to take our relationship seriously-”

“-We should take things to the next level.” Finn finished, as he dropped to one knee.

“Exactly. Which begs the question-” Poe pulled his hands out of his pockets.

“The most important question of all-” Finn said, opened the box as Poe finally turned toward him.

“Will you marry me??" They asked in unison.

Both men froze on the spot. Finn was stunned to see Poe holding up a familiar-looking ring towards him, gripped between his thumb and pointer finger. Poe meanwhile was in utter shock as he noticed Finn on one knee, holding his own ring toward him.

“You were planning to propose too??” Both men exclaimed.

“Wha-yes actually I was!” Poe said, a little indignantly. “That’s why I came all the way out here! I wanted to do this whole grand romantic gesture where I finally chased after you instead of waiting for you to come to me! I wanted to surprise you on Naboo, but I got too impatient and came here instead. Which now that I think of it, probably wasn’t a good plan given what Rey did to my ship.”

Finn got to his feet, overwhelmed by Poe’s declaration, and looking upon the man with such deep affection. He then noticed the silver ring Poe still held in his hand. “Is that the same one you wear around your neck?”

Poe glanced down at the ring, smiling softly. “Yeah. It was my mother’s. My dad gave it to me shortly after she passed so I’d always keep a piece of her with me. I made a promise that one day, I’d give it to someone who became as near and dear to me as she was…and I think that day has finally come.”

“Poe…” Finn uttered softly, feeling a slight stinging at the corner of his eyes as his chest clenched.

“Well…what about you?” Poe asked, prompting him. “I shared how I was gonna propose…you weren’t really planning on doing it here, were you? I know my proposal was a spur of the moment thing, but I figured you would’ve put more thought into it, given that ring.”

Finn glanced at the box and pulled the ring out before putting the box away. “You’re right I did. I wanted to get a special ring that held real meaning for you. My plan was to come back home, give you the biggest hug and kiss ever, and then propose right then and there. That way we could finally start creating some happy memories in the home we share together, starting with the best memory of all.”

Poe’s smile grew as he looked upon Finn fondly. He then glanced at the platinum ring Finn held, suddenly looking intrigued by the markings, and then surprised by the engine shaped design. “Wait a sec…is that a piston ring off an RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor?”

“Yep, just like the one your mom flew.” Finn nodded proudly. “Ben suggested it and Rey designed the ring. Like I said, I wanted it to be meaningful, and they’re the only ones besides me who know you best.”

Poe’s breathing started to pick up as he looked up the ring, his eyes now glistening as he swallowed nervously. “Well… they definitely hit the nail on the head with this one.”

“It gets better.” Finn grinned. “Read the inscription.”

Poe looked up for a moment then took the ring from Finn. He glanced at the inside and read off the inscribed words.

_“For my rebel pilot. The spark that ignites my heart.”_ At that, a tear then did slip down his cheek as he laughed out loud. “Cheesy, but I like it.”

Finn reached up and brushed Poe’s tear away from his face before cupping his cheek. Poe looked up, his eyes meeting Finn’s, as they gazed upon each other with a deep love and affection, as well as an eagerness to be closer.

Poe then cleared his throat. “So, uh…I know we both had our own plans to propose so…who goes first? You go first? I go first? Do we ask at the same time?”

“You go first.” Finn nodded. “After all, you're the one who came all the way out here to do so.”

Poe nodded and handed back Finn's ring, before holding up his mother's with both hands, taking a deep breath before he spoke.

“Finn…ever since you rescued me from the First Order, starting with the moment you took off your helmet to reveal your gorgeous mug, to that first conversation we had while escaping in that TIE fighter…I knew there was something special about you. I didn’t think it a coincidence that we get along and work together as well as we do, nor that seeing you wear my jacket is the most natural thing in the galaxy. I want us to always be together, whether we’re off doing tasks for work, or just enjoying each other’s company at home. I want us to grow into decrepit old men together, who tell the same war stories over and over to their annoyed grandkids. You’re the most stubbornly loyal person I know and I love you to pieces for it. I can think of no one more worthy to wear my mother’s ring. So please…will you marry me?”

Finn’s smile widened as he felt his eyes grow watery. Quickly he nodded his head. “Yes Poe, I will. And I hope you were referring to my stubborn loyalty in a positive way, cause that’s what you’re gonna get buddy. Now and for the rest of our lives.”

“I’ve wanted nothing more,” Poe said, his voice trembling as he slipped the ring over Finn’s outstretched finger, which fit much to his surprise.

Glancing at the ring, Poe smiled tightly, trying to stop his own tears from falling. “I knew it’d be perfect on you.” He then took a step back and gestured to Finn. “Okay. Your turn now.”

Finn gazed reverently down at the ring on his finger for a moment before taking out the one he had for Poe, swallowing nervously as he held it up to him with both hands.

“Poe…you are my hero. The man who saved me from meeting my inevitable fate as a disposable soldier. You gave me my freedom. You gave me your friendship. And you ultimately gave me your heart. Something so precious that I will spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of it. I promise I will treasure you, care for you, and give you the type of home and family I know you’ve wanted and deserve. I want us to have a whole bunch of kids together, or at least enough to form our own specially trained pilot squadron.”

Poe let out a laugh, covering his mouth as a rogue tear slipped down. “You remembered me talking about ‘Dameron’s Dozen’?”.

“Absolutely.” Finn nodded, taking Poe’s hand. “I may not have always been present, but I’ve always listened whenever you spoke. And I swear, if you'll still have me, I will be much more of a presence in your life from now on and for the rest of our days. Cause I love you, Poe. And I always will. All I ask is for one thing in return: A name. You’ve already given me the great gift of a first name, so now I ask you for a last name as well …yours.”

Poe choked up, keeping his hand over his mouth and closing his eyes as tears ran down his face. Finn took that opportunity to slip the ring over his free finger, holding his hand gently.

“What do you say, Poe?” Finn smiled at him. “Marry me and be my husband?”

Poe said nothing at first, instead letting out a sob and throwing his arms over Finn, holding him tightly as tears continued running down his face and onto his jacket. Finn held him closely as the pilot-turned-admiral became an emotional wreck right before his eyes.

“Sorry, just…that was beautiful,” Poe uttered against Finn’s shoulder. “Really glad I went first, cause I could never follow that.”

Finn laughed as he rubbed his back in comfort. “Still waiting for an answer by the way.”

Poe laughed and turned, kissing Finn firmly on the cheek before pulling away. “Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes. I’ve wanted to call you my husband for ages. Our coworkers joked that I’d become an old maid before I ever got the chance.”

“Won’t they be surprised when we show up at work next week,” Finn said, grasping his ring hand and squeezing it slightly.

Poe hastily wiped his eyes before an excited look appeared on his face. “This is fantastic! Oh man, we have to celebrate! No, we have to start planning! We should book the nearest temple. No, a skyway. No! A space station! It’d be appropriate! And then we‘d need to get custom made outfits, something classy but also on the flashier side! And then there’s the food to think about-”

“Um, Poe?” Finn tried to get his attention, but Poe’s mind was elsewhere.

“Not to mention the music, the dancing, the entertainment-ooh we can get a firebreather! That’d be really cool! Maybe we can get Rey’s kids to be the ring bearer and flower girls-”

“Poe?” Finn repeated.

“And we have to print a ton of invitations, for everyone in the Republic headquarters, heck maybe everyone on Chandrilla! Maybe we can even-”

“POE!?” Finn exclaimed.

“Yeah?” Poe asked finally turning toward him. “Something you wanna add to-”

Finn immediately seized Poe’s face, cutting off his words by pressing his lips firmly against his own. Poe stopped in place, his eyebrows raised in surprise before they slowly lowered back down. He closed his eyes and pressed his lips back against Finn’s, who slid his hands down Poe’s cheek and caressed his beard until Poe's lips parted, allowing Finn entry. Poe let out a soft moan, reaching up to wrap his arms around Finn's neck as the stormtrooper ravaged Poe’s mouth, deepening their kiss until they were both feeling dizzy and completely forgot where they were.

After a few more minutes of intense kissing, Finn finally pulled away. He was breathing heavily, his breath mixed with Poe’s, who looked all dazed and speechless as he gazed reverently back at Finn.

“Wow…in five years, I don’t think you’ve ever kissed me like that,” Poe said, his face turning a light pink. “Maybe I should shut up more often.”

“Then you wouldn’t be the man I love.” Finn smiled at him, caressing his face. “Look I know you’re excited about this and trust me I am too, but maybe we keep this to ourselves for a bit? I just want to enjoy some privacy between us before the entire universe knows. Besides, we still have a job to do.”

“No, you’re right.” Poe nodded. “Sorry, just been waiting on this for a while. Got a little excited. We’re not gonna wait for too long, are we? And what about Ben and Rey? Do we let them in on the secret?”

“I’d say a little quid pro quo is in order there,” Finn smirked.

Poe grinned. “Shall we be on our way than to share the good news?”

“Not quite yet.” Finn shook his head, a mischievous glint in this eye. “I’m thinking my ship could use a tune-up first…followed by some time spent in the cockpit with my favorite pilot. If that’s alright with you.”

Poe smiled widely. “As you wish, soldier.” He then captured Finn’s lips, who eagerly kissed back, holding him close as the two engaged men finally got a chance to enjoy and relish in each other’s company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't lie, I didn't intend to make Stormpilot a big thing in this fic, but since I had a lot of fun writing Poe's interaction with everyone, I had to include at least one big scene with him and Finn in this story. Cause honestly, they're just too adorable together even if their relationship canonically is a 'bromance'. But we all know better ;)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the family travels through space to their new home, Ben decided to reveal some truths to his kids.

** Chapter 16  **

Out in space, _The Scavenger_ was gradually making its way toward Naboo. Ben had wanted to give the kids a chance to see what space was like and decided to forgo lightspeed, keeping the cloaking device on so as not to be spotted by any rogue ships. This allowed the twins to run about the ship as they pleased, ecstatically racing from one window to the next, gazing at all the stars, planets, and other space debris that passed them by in the deep void of space.

“Wow, look at all those stars!” Anni said in amazement. “There’s so many of them!”

“And look at those planets! They’re so much bigger than in the books!” Fin noted, seeing a few planets in the distance.

Ben smiled contently, hearing his kids’ excitement all the way from the pilot seat as they ran from room to room, trying to spot every star and constellation from their picture books.

Putting the ship on cruise control, Ben was finally able to relax and stared out into the far reaches of space. It had been a while since he’d seen the stars from the pilot seat of a ship, and it surprised him just how much he missed it.

Ben then looked over at Rey, watching as she too gazed reverently up at stars, all while feeding Leihana who lay contently in her arms. Ben smiled at them both. “How’s our little starlight doing?”

“Pretty good. She’s a ravenous one though. Acts like we don’t even feed her.” Rey said, smiling down at Leihana as she suckled away.

Ben chuckled. “And what about you? I imagine you’re feeling a little ravenous yourself.”

“A little, but I’m good. More excited and nervous than anything.” Rey nodded. “Just hoping our trip goes smoothly, and that the children will be able to adapt to their new surroundings.”

“They will in time,” Ben said caressing her shoulder. “You’ll see.”

Rey smiled back at him just as they heard a beeping noise. They turned to see BB-8 roll into the cockpit, beeping at them excessively and gesturing to the room behind them. It was then Ben noticed the twins had gone quiet, which was never a good sign.

Rey glanced worriedly at Ben for a moment, causing him to nod and get out of his seat to check on them. Luckily, they hadn’t gotten far, as he found the two children huddled together in the eating area, arms folded around themselves as they shivered.

“You both okay?” Ben asked in concern.

“We’re cold, daddy.” Fin said, rubbing his arms as Anni nodded in agreement.

Ben’s face fell in alarm, mentally berating himself for not thinking of the temperature, and quickly set off toward the supply room. Luckily BB-8 seemed to have beaten him to it, holding up two soft blankets he found for the twins to use. Ben nodded in gratitude, grabbing the blankets and draping them over each child. Ben then picked them up in each arm, carrying them back towards the cockpit and setting them down in the sitting area on a large seat cushion. Rey looked relieved to see them, patting BB-8’s head in gratitude as the droid came to sit near her.

“Sorry kids. Been a while since I’ve been to space. Forgot how much colder it gets out here.” Ben said as he tucked the blanket firmly around Fin. “Better?”

Fin nodded, prompting Ben to kiss his forehead. He then turned to Anni and did the same with her. “Better?”

Anni nodded as Ben kissed her forehead as well before a thought seemed to cross her mind. “Hey, daddy?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” He asked tucking her legs under the blanket.

“Who’s Kylo Ren?”

Ben froze as he looked upon Anni, who waited patiently for him to answer. He could see Rey peek from behind the co-pilot seat, looking as worried as him.

“Why do you ask that?” Ben asked, temporarily avoiding the question.

“That droid we fought was looking for Kylo Ren, right? But Doctor Finn said he ran off, and Mister Poe said he was gone.” Anni elaborated. “Just who is Kylo Ren? Where did he go? Why was that droid looking for him?”

“Yeah, is he a bad guy?” Fin asked curiously. “Is he hiding, or did he disappear?”

For a moment Ben wasn’t sure how to respond when Rey interrupted. “Alright, enough children. Your daddy needs to concentrate on flying right now. He’ll tell you all about it later.”

“But what if Kylo Ren’s still out there?” Anni asked worriedly.

“Yeah, what if he comes after us? Like that droid did?” Fin asked in a scared tone.

“He won’t,” Ben answered firmly. “He would never come after you two.”

“How do you know that?” Fin asked.

Ben paused for a moment before answering. “Because-”

“Ben,” Rey spoke up quickly. “You don’t have to-”

“Yes. I do.” Ben said as he sat between the twins, making himself comfortable. “Kids. I think it’s time I told you a story.”

“Story!?” The kids said, looking between themselves excitedly.

“But you don’t tell stories, daddy.” Anni pointed out.

“Well, this time, I will.” Ben nodded. “It’s a long one, but you need to hear it in order to understand.”

“Is it about Kylo Ren?” Fin asked.

“Yes.” Ben nodded. “But there’s a bit more to his story than you would think."

"What do you mean?" Anni asked. 

"Well, for starters, Kylo Ren was indeed a bad guy. But he didn't start off that way though. When he was little, he grew up on a planet a lot like the one we’re going to, filled with tall buildings, forests, and mountains. He had famous parents and a nanny droid that took care of him and gave him whatever he wanted so he'd be good. Still, even though Kylo Ren lived a charmed life, he was also very restless, very impatient…and very lonely. He didn’t have any brothers or sisters, and his mommy and daddy weren’t around much, so he was often alone. All he wanted was to spend time with them and travel to other places to be with them. But they almost never brought him along, and so, he became very bitter and angry. He started training to become a pilot like his father, so he could travel wherever he wanted and see his parents whenever he wished. Maybe even make some friends along the way. That is, until the day his parents discovered his force powers during one of his tantrums, where he destroyed his nanny droid in a fit of anger. They were upset, and eventually decided he would be better off training to become a Jedi, so he could learn to control himself and his powers.”

"That's so sad," Anni said sympathetically.

“So, Kylo Ren trained to be a Jedi like us?” Fin asked.

“Yes.” Ben nodded. “His uncle even trained him, hoping one day he’d become a master and take over the Jedi Temple he had built. But Kylo Ren wanted much more than that. He wanted to be stronger. He wanted power. He wanted to be respected, and not because of his family legacy. He didn't realize it yet, but Kylo Ren had darkness in him that had been festering and growing for years. A darkness that he inherited from his grandfather, who was a famous Sith Lord and someone Kylo Ren strived to be like.”

“Was his grandfather a Sith Lord like Darth Vader from mommy’s stories?” Anni asked.

Ben swallowed. “Actually...not only was his grandfather a Sith Lord like Darth Vader…his grandfather WAS Darth Vader.”

The twins gasped in shock.

“You mean that big, scary bad guy with the black helmet was Kylo Ren’s grandfather?” Fin asked. “The same bad guy who blew up Master Leia’s planet and then chopped off Master Luke’s hand?”

“Yes.” Ben nodded nervously. “But like Kylo Ren, Darth Vader wasn’t always a bad guy either. In fact, he was once a Jedi knight and a respected war general, known throughout the galaxy by a different name: Anakin Skywalker.”

“Skywalker…you mean like Master Luke and Leia?” Anni asked.

“Yes, Anni. Believe it or not...he was actually their father.”

Both kids gasped even louder, looking at both Ben and each other in surprise before unleashing a barrage of questions.

“Darth Vader was their daddy!?”

“But how did he become so evil?”

“Why did he chop off master Luke’s hand?”

“Did he really blow up those planets?”

“Why did he wear the helmet all the time?”

“Children, please!” Rey spoke firmly to them, standing up with Leihana in her arms. “Your daddy’s trying to tell you an important story so don’t interrupt him. If you have a question, raise your hand and ask one at a time.”

The twins nodded reluctantly but still looked at Ben with anxious curiosity, with Fin raising his hand to ask his question first.

“If Darth Vader is Kylo Ren's grandfather, and also Master Luke and Leia’s daddy, does that mean Kylo Ren is related to them too?”

“Yes.” Ben nodded, speaking carefully. “Master Leia was Kylo Ren’s mother and Master Luke was his uncle and teacher.”

“But how come-”

“Fin, wait your turn.” Rey interrupted, much to Fin’s disappointment as Anni asked her question next.

“But why was Darth- I mean, Anakin so evil? Wasn't he a Jedi master too, like Master Luke and Leia?” Fin asked curiously. “How did he become so bad?”

Ben sighed sadly. “Well, that’s the thing sweetheart…like Kylo Ren, Anakin was supposed to become a Jedi master, and the savior the Jedi temple had been waiting for. Until one day something went horribly wrong, and he made a decision that changed everything…”

* * *

Ben spent the next standard hour telling the twins everything. About Anakin’s journey to becoming a Jedi and his fall to the dark side. How Anakin’s secret wife Padme had died in childbirth, with Luke and Leia being separated and hidden away from Anakin and each other. How years later, they met up again when they joined the Resistance with Han Solo to defeat the Empire, ending it with Luke’s confrontation with the Emperor and how Lord Vader turned back to the light to save his son.

It all led to Ben talking about the rise of Snoke and the First Order, and how he had manipulated Kylo Ren into joining the dark side. Not leaving any details out, Ben told them how Luke became fearful of Kylo Ren and tried to kill him while he slept, resulting in the Jedi temple’s demise and Luke’s self-imposed banishment. How Kylo Ren had joined Snoke and the Knights of Ren, becoming a Sith apprentice, leader of the knights, and a fleet commander feared by all. Eventually, his story began lining up with the ones the twins knew that Rey had told them. How Kylo Ren tried to destroy the Resistance and his parents, which resulted in him destroying planets, killing his father, and nearly destroying his mother. How he repeatedly clashed with the Scavenger who, despite his best efforts, he developed a bond with and ended up falling hopelessly in love. So much so that he even betrayed his master for her, leading him to kill Snoke and take over as Supreme Leader.

Anni and Fin sat and listened in both awe and shock as Ben spoke, still asking lots of questions but trying not to interrupt the flow of the story, as they were eager to hear everything. Even Rey sat in the seat next to them, holding Leihana as she listened to Ben tell the grittier, more realistic version of his family’s past, along with his own past and their tumultuous relationship from enemies to lovers, leading all the way up to their final confrontation with Palpatine.

“And so, it was because of the Scavenger’s love and kindness, that Kylo Ren finally saw the error of his ways and was able to return to the light. He did all he could to help the Scavenger as she gave her life to stop the Emperor from rising to power once more. He even gave up his own life to save hers in return. For there was one thing Kylo Ren was determined to do better than what his grandfather had done, and that was to save the woman he loved. As it turned out, that love ended up saving them both and allowed them to start over, this time together on the same side of the force with only each other to guide the way.”

As Ben finished his story, he took a deep breath to stop himself from trembling before daring to look at the kids' reactions.

Anni and Fin sat silently as they tried comprehending everything they were just told. While they were indeed smart kids, Ben could tell there were still a few things they didn’t quite understand. Naturally, Ben wanted to give them the chance to learn and clear up any misconceptions where possible, even if it meant talking about things that painted him in a more negative light.

“So…are there any more questions you two have for me?” Ben asked. "Don't be afraid to ask."

The kids hesitated for a moment before Fin raised his hand. “So…does that mean Kylo Ren a good guy now? Or did he go away forever?”

“A little of both,” Ben responded. “The person he was…that bad person…is gone. And while he tries to be a good guy, he knows he can never fully be one again, nor can he make up for all the bad things he’s done. All he can do right now is try to live day to day, hoping somehow, someday he’ll get the chance to make amends.”

Fin said nothing, prompting Anni to ask the biggest question on her mind. “Daddy?”

“Yes, sweetheart?” Ben asked.

“You said Kylo Ren became the Supreme Leader. Is that the same Supreme Leader in mommy’s stories?” Anni asked.

Ben nodded. “Yes, Anni. He became Supreme Leader of the First Order, or Second Empire, after he destroyed Snoke.”

Suddenly the wheels in Anni’s head started turning.

“But…but if mommy is the Scavenger, and Kylo Ren was the Supreme Leader, and they were in love with each other…”

Ben held his breath.

After a few moments, a look of dread overcame Anni's face as she gazed up at Ben, her eyes looking fearful. “Daddy…does that mean you’re Kylo Ren?”

Ben paused, the moment he had feared most now coming to fruition. He could see both Anni and Fin looking at him expectantly, with traces of fear. Ben dared to briefly look at Rey, who herself seemed anxious but gave no response to his questioning glance, as if she knew it best to leave his answer up to him.

Finally, Ben glanced back toward Anni, taking in a breath and nodding his head. “Yes, Anni. I am Kylo Ren.”

The kids were left utterly speechless as they looked at their father with open mouths and shocked faces. After a few moments, Fin finally spoke up.

“But-but, that's not right! I thought you were the Gray Jedi in mommy's stories!?” Fin asked, a trace of panic in his voice.

“I am. At least, that’s what your mother called me after I stopped being Kylo Ren.” Ben explained. "Everything she said about me, both as the Gray Jedi and Supreme Leader, was true though. All of it."

Both twin’s eyes widened in horror as it suddenly dawned on them what Ben's story really meant.

“So that means…you're the evil Supreme Leader who helped blow up all those planets?” Anni asked nervously.

Ben swallowed anxiously and nodded. “Yes.”

“The same one who killed all the other Jedi at Master Luke’s temple?” Fin asked, his voice trembling.

“Not all of them...but yes,” Ben repeated.

“The one who tried to blow up the Resistance and kill Master Leia?” Anni asked.

Ben hesitated but nodded.

“And...you tried to hurt mommy too?” Fin asked, his voice choking up. “Even when she wanted to help you?”

Ben looked down, the shame evident in his voice. “…yes.”

“N-no! It’s not true!” Anni shook her head. “It can’t be!”

“It is sweetheart,” Ben said solemnly. “I wish it weren’t. I wish I could go back and make things right but I can't.”

Anni’s eyes now grew wet with tears. “But…that means, you’re the one who told Doctor Finn to hurt all those villagers. And then slashed his back when he tried fighting you.”

Ben looked at her with sadness in his eyes. “I did…”

"Is that why the droid was looking for you?" Fin asked. "To punish you for all the bad things you did?"

Ben swallowed and nodded silently.

“Okay children, that’s enough questions,” Rey said softly, trying to stop the accusations before Fin quickly interrupted.

“But wait! If Darth Vader is Kylo Ren’s grandfather, and you’re Kylo Ren…does that mean-”

“Darth Vader is our grandfather too?” Anni asked in realization.

“Great-grandfather.” Ben corrected before nodding. “And yes, he is. Which makes Master Luke your great uncle and Master Leia…your grandmother.”

The twins somehow even looked more shocked than before.

“Master Leia is our…grandmother?” Fin asked in disbelief, now realizing who he had been talking to before.

“So…does that mean Han Solo is our grandfather?” Anni asked, her voice trembling.

Ben nodded.

“And you stabbed him?” Anni asked, practically in tears. “He tried to help you just like mommy did, and you stabbed him??”

Ben couldn’t bring himself to answer, his frown deepening as he looked down in shame.

“Enough children!” Rey spoke up loudly, getting their attention. “Come here please.”

The twins looked between themselves and hastily shimmied out of their blankets, moving away from Ben as quickly as possible, leaving him sitting alone on the seat. They walked up to Rey, who looked at them with a surprisingly calm yet stern expression. “I want you both to your quarters for a bit, okay? Daddy and I need time to talk alone. And I think you both need some time to think about everything daddy has told you.”

The twins nodded, giving one last worrisome glance at Ben before they raced out of the cockpit. BB-8 followed after them, letting out a sorrowful beep toward Ben before leaving the room.

Once the door slid shut and it was just them and Leihana, Ben closed his eyes and leaned over, putting his face in his hands. Rey stood up and placed Leihana to sleep in her basket before heading over to Ben, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Ben…it’s okay-”

“I never should have told them,” Ben choked up as he pressed his hands against his face. “I ruined everything and now they hate me.”

“They don’t hate you-”

“Well, they should! They know every bad thing I’ve done and now they hate me for it, just like everyone else in the galaxy does.” Ben said into his hands. “It’s just as well. I put them in grave danger and now they know why. They’ll never want me teaching them, much less going near them ever again.”

“Ben, they’re just in shock.” Rey gazed at him sympathetically. “It’s a lot to take in, especially for a couple of four-year-olds. Even I felt a tad overwhelmed listening to everything, and I was there for a good part of it.”

Ben said nothing, trembling as he kept his face buried in his hands. Rey sat next to him, running her fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm him down.

“That was still a very brave thing you did though, telling them the truth,” Rey whispered in comfort. “Better than what your parents did. I know that was incredibly hard for you but I’m still proud of you for doing so.”

“But what if they never speak to me again?” Ben asked, lowering his hands. “What if we get to Naboo and they don’t want me living with them anymore? What if they want me to leave forever?”

“They're not your parents Ben. That won’t happen. You’re still their daddy, and they love you dearly.” Rey assured them. “That won’t change because of what you told them. Just give them some time to come to terms with what they’ve learned, and I guarantee they’ll come around.”

Ben sniffed and sat up, wiping his eyes. “Maybe. Still, if any good comes out of this, it’s that now they know the truth. They’ll know what happens when one goes to the dark side and will hopefully learn to stay away if they can. At least I can say I did some good by them in that respect.”

Rey ran her fingers toward the back of Ben’s head and gently pulled him toward her. Ben rested his head on her shoulder, lifting his arms to wrap around Rey's waist as she held him close, caressing his back in comfort. Ben stayed in her arms for a good long while, with Rey making no attempts to leave as she knew he needed the reassurance. Needed to know he was loved and wouldn’t be abandoned, no matter what the kids now thought about him.

Before Rey could speak more words of comfort, they heard racing footsteps and looked up to see Anni and Fin reappear in the doorway, both looking anxious.

“Children, I told you to wait in your quarters-”

“We want to speak to daddy first,” Anni spoke up.

“Yeah, it’s important,” Fin added.

Rey glanced at Ben, who reluctantly nodded and pulled away from Rey before gesturing at them to come over.

The twins stood in front of Ben, fidgeting nervously in place as they went to address their father.

“Daddy…did you really do all that bad stuff as Kylo Ren?” Anni asked.

“Yes sweetheart, I did,” Ben answered truthfully.

Anni glanced at Fin, who nodded before asking his question. “Did you also all that good stuff in mommy’s stories as the Gray Jedi?”

Ben paused, surprised by the question but answered, nonetheless. “Yes, I did son.”

Anni stepped forward. “Are you sorry for all the bad stuff you did?”

Ben swallowed hard and nodded. “More than you’ll ever know.”

Fin then stepped forward as well. “Are you ever gonna do any of that bad stuff again?”

“Never. Not unless someone tries to harm the two of you, your mother or Leihana.” Ben said with conviction. “And even then, I would still think twice, because I don’t want to scare or endanger any of you by falling to the dark side again. You are my family and I love you all fiercely. I returned to the light because of your mother, but I make it my mission to stay there because of all of you. Understand that no matter what, I would never intentionally put any of you in harm's way. I know you both see me differently now, but know that doesn’t change who I was before, how I feel or how I act. I want you all to know that I love you kids, and will never stop trying to be a better man and a better father to the three of you. No matter what.”

The twins looked upon their dad for a few moments before glancing at each other, as if having a secret, mental conversation. Finally, they nodded and moved toward Ben together. Climbing onto the seat and onto Ben’s lap, they hugged him tightly on both sides, much to his surprise.

“We love you too daddy,” Anni said into his shoulder.

“Yeah, we know you’re not a bad guy anymore.” Fin nodded squeezing Ben’s arm.

“And we forgive you for all the bad stuff you did,” Anni said glancing up at him.

“We know you’ll never hurt us. Or mommy. Or Lei-Lei.” Fin said, trying to smile at him.

Ben glanced at them both in stunned silence, his breathing growing ragged as tears flowed freely down his face. He then held the kids close, hugging them tightly in his arms as he let out a choking sob.

Rey smiled as she rose from the seat, standing over Ben and caressing his hair as she gazed upon him affectionately. “Told you.”

Ben chuckled softly, maintaining his grip on the twins, as they snuggled against him. “Thanks, kids…thank you so much…”

* * *

It had been an odd and nerve-wracking experience, confessing his past mistakes to his young children. Even odder was answering his children’s many follow up questions about those mistakes. And yet, Ben couldn't help but feel significantly lighter, like a weight had been lifted from his soul. It didn't ease his guilt but at least he could take comfort in knowing he had been honest with his children and didn't try to hide the good and bad legacies they came from. While he had hoped they would've been older when he told them the truth, the twins seemed to understand enough to know Ben was remorseful about his past and forgave him for his misdeeds, even if he felt he didn't deserve it. 

After the twins consoled Ben, they resumed their questioning. They were strangely eager to hear more about the characters they knew through Rey’s stories, who they now realized were various members of their family. Their curiosity about their family legacy had branched to all sides as well. Soon they were asking questions about Anakin and Padme, about Luke, Leia, and Han, and even stories about himself and Rey in their younger days. Rey had joked that he should’ve been the one telling them stories all these years, as they showed even more interest in his tellings than hers, given he had no qualms about going into the grittier details.

While Ben did indulge in their curiosity, for the most part, he made sure to stay away from certain subjects that he felt they weren't ready to know about yet. Particularly that of Palpatine and his relation to Rey. While Ben still mentioned the former Emperor in passing as the villain they both knew from the stories, Ben omitted any information about him being their biological great-grandfather, knowing it would upset Rey and possibly overwhelmed the kids, given what they just learned about him and Vader. Besides, it was Rey's story to tell, not his. And while she seemed determined at the moment to distance herself from the Sith Lord as much as possible, he knew one day Rey would be in his position, having to answer all the twins’ questions about their Sith relative and being forced to acknowledge uncomfortable things about her past. And just as she had done for him, Ben knew he would be there by her side, waiting to console her and provide assistance when the kids became too overwhelmed by the information. That was a conversation for another day though, but one he knew they would prepare for together.

At long last, after nearly another standard hour of travel, _The Scavenger_ finally reached its destination, much to Rey and Ben’s relief.

“Kids! Come see the new planet you’re gonna live on.” Ben called back to them.

The kids rushed into the cockpit, gazing upon the planet of Naboo in wonder and amazement.

“Wow, look at it!” Anni said excitedly. “It’s sooo-”

“Blue!” Fin finished. “I’ve never seen so much blue before!”

“Well, you’ll be seeing a lot more of it from now on. And many other bright colors as well.” Rey said, smiling.

The ship then descended toward the atmosphere, with the system's coordinates steering it toward the outskirts of the planet’s capital, Theed. The kids looked excitedly at the bustling city with its tall, striking buildings, gazing upon all the people and ships that filled the streets down below, as well as the overabundance of lakes, forest, mountains, and other various plant life that decorated its vast natural landscapes.

As they neared their destination, thick clouds gathered in the lower atmosphere, causing it to start raining as the ship made its final descent, right outside a large, familiar-looking mansion.

“That’s the garden house from my book!” Fin said, looking out the window and jumping up and down excitedly.

“It sure is.” Rey nodded, as she lifted Leihana out of her basket. “That’s where we’re going to live from now on.”

“Yay! We’re gonna live in the flower house!” Anni cheered as she and Fin raced toward the ramp of the ship.

Ben smiled at their enthusiasm, hitting the button to lower the hatch so they could run out before following after them. When he and Rey got over to the ramp, however, they were surprised to see the twins standing just shy of the bottom ramp, looking nervous.

“Kids, what’s wrong?” Ben asked with concern.

The twins looked back at their parents with uncertainty, and back out to the open, where it was now raining lightly. Both seemed at a loss of what to do.

Understanding what the issue was, Rey handed Leihana over to Ben and walked down the ramp toward the kids. She knelt between them and grasped Anni’s hand, holding it out just beyond the edge of the ship where the rain dripped down. Anni flinched at first, but then stuck her hand back out, a huge smile spreading over her face as raindrops coated her hand. Rey then did the same with Fin, who giggled at the new feeling of rain on his skin before sticking both hands out to catch the water.

BB-8 whistled at them, then proceeded to roll out into the rain, turning back to face them to show he was okay.

Both twins smiled and looked at Rey, who nodded and gestured forward.

Immediately the twins took off into the rain with BB-8, jumping into the nearest puddle and squealing with delight as they stomped about, splashing each other, and not caring that they were getting soaked.

Rey stood up, watching them happily as Ben joined her side, looking impressed. “How’d you know?”

“Easy. It’s the same look all us desert dwellers have the first time we see rain.” Rey explained, grinning at him.

Ben smiled back, handing her a parasol he had grabbed out of a box. “Good thing you decided to hoard this old thing then.”

“Oh, hush up you.” Rey grabbed it and opened it up so that it covered her, Ben, and Leihana. Together they exited the ship before walking through the garden gates toward the vine-covered mansion, with the twins following close behind as they splashed about.

Punching in the security code Poe gave them, the Naberrie’s finally set foot into the family mansion for the first time, looking around in awe. The mansion's insides were huge, made from alabaster marble, with high ceilings and windows, decorated richly with chandeliers, velvet carpeting, tall drapes, and lots of fancy paintings on its walls. As pristine as it looked though, it was clear this mansion hadn’t been inhabited by any living beings in decades. All of the old-fashioned furniture was still covered in sheets, there was a light layer of dust covering the mantels and mirrors, and its fireplace had been boarded up. This didn’t bother the family in the least though, as they were used to living in close, sandy, underground quarters and were now standing in a room the size of their old hut. Compared to what they lived in, this place was a palace.

Ben and Rey started exploring all the numerous rooms, including the living area, dining area, kitchen, bedrooms, and freshers, wanting to see everything the mansion had to offer. It seemed Poe had even made a brief visit to the mansion as well, having left behind a basket of food and drinks on the kitchen counter and in the cooling unit as a welcome gift for them. Meanwhile, Anni, Fin, and BB-8 raced through the mansion's six large bedrooms as they tried to figure out which one they liked best. Ben and Rey told the twins they could each have their own separate rooms now that they had the space, but the twins insisted on sharing anyway, eventually settling on a larger bedroom that was attached to another room, which they declared would be their playroom. They even set up a spot for BB-8, who seemed happy to have his own space by an outlet.

As Rey and Ben explored the master bedroom they were to claim, Rey was pleasantly surprised to find that it had a nursery attached to it, filled with furniture, toys, and other items needed for child-rearing. Sitting in the middle of the room, covered by a sheet, were two matching cradles, each painted with a similar-looking plant and flower design, but in pink and blue hues. Looking closely, Rey noticed each cradle already had a name painted on it, with one saying ‘Luke’ and the other saying ‘Leia’.

“Your grandmother must’ve set this up herself.” Rey thought out loud as Ben approached from behind. “She must've been excited about becoming a mother. I can relate. A shame she never got to use these.”

Ben looked upon the cradles and the surprising attention to detail that went into them. Suddenly the reality of what his family had lost struck him hard, giving him a sad, contemplative look.

“You okay?” Rey asked, sensing his sorrow.

“Sorry, it’s just…surreal, seeing all this.” Ben mused as he looked around the nursey. “To think. Had things went differently, my mother and uncle could’ve grown up here on Naboo. They would’ve lived in the same household, grown up together knowing who both their real parents were…maybe even been trained together as Jedi, either on Coruscant or with my grandfather. They could’ve all had much happier lives…”

“Maybe…but the opposite could’ve been true too,” Rey said as she stood beside him. “Anakin or Palpatine could’ve turned them to the dark side, or they could’ve been victims of Order 66. Had masters Obi-Wan and Yoda not hid them, they might not have survived to become the legends we all know today. Your mother wouldn’t have met your father, meaning you wouldn’t be here. Then, where would I and the kids be?”

Ben smiled at her in gratitude before glancing down at Leihana and back at the cradle, getting an idea. “Least there’s one thing I know I can try and make right while we're here.”

“What’s that?” Rey asked.

“I can fulfill my grandmother's wish for her, by raising our children in this household and making sure they live the happy, peaceful lives my mother and uncle never got. That we never got. And I'll do it alongside the one I love.”

Rey smiled fondly at Ben as they suddenly heard the kids yelling from outside the windows.

“Mommy, Daddy, come quick! The rain stopped! Come look at the sun! There’s only one of it!”

Immediately the couple went into the backyard, the ground now a little muddy and damp but still solid enough to walk on. Once outside, Ben and Rey both let out a soft gasp as they gazed upon a luscious garden yard filled with flowers, bushes, and trees. Behind those small trees was a giant lake that spanned further than the house with mountains peaking up in the distance. There, the sun was glowing a bright orange as it set toward the mountains, reflecting its warm glow in the lake below.

“Wow…the view is even more breathtaking than I remember,” Rey said as she gazed at the sunset. 

“It sure is…” Ben said, standing by Rey contently before glancing over at her. “Maybe one day, we can renew our vows back here during the sunset. I’d love a chance to say them again in a setting like this, to remind me of that special day.”

Rey looked at Ben, a look of adoration on her face as she smiled brightly at him. “I’d love that too.”

The kids meanwhile, were running between the rows of flowers and around the trees, exploring their new yard with enthusiasm as BB-8 rolled behind them.

Fin finally stopped before a tree, which had light pink flowers growing out of its branches, and attempted to jump up and grab them. When that didn’t work, he attempted to use his powers to grab it when suddenly Fin felt himself float off the ground. Looking over his shoulder, Fin saw Anni with hands outstretched toward him, grinning encouragingly. Fin smiled back and reached toward the flower, getting ever so closer to grabbing it.

Anni strained with all her might, starting to feel lightheaded when she felt herself suddenly float off the ground as well. Fin dropped unexpectantly but was stopped and started floating in midair alongside Anni. Both looked at each other with confusion until they noticed Ben and Rey with their hands outstretched toward them, smiling with encouragement. BB-8 rolled up, beeping in confusion until he too was floating up in the air along with the twins.

Letting out matching laughs, the twins flew through the air, doing tumbles and reaching for flowers on the higher branches, all while using BB-8 as a ball to throw to each other. Rey and Ben watched them in amusement, with Ben holding Leihana who now watched her siblings with fascination, gurgling as she raised her hands toward them to imitate her parents, looking like she wanted to join the fun.

As Fin, Anni and BB-8 floated back down, Fin ran up to his parents and handed them each a pink flower he had grabbed before running off with Anni and BB-8 to plant his other flowers. Ben glanced at his flower before looking at Rey, placing it in her hair by her ear. Rey looked up as he did this, smiling brightly before turning toward her husband and doing the same gesture, putting her own flower in his hair. Now matching, Rey and Ben leaned forward and kissed each other sweetly, the sun setting in the background while their children ran playfully around the yard with their droid, in the place they now called home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All that's left now is the epilogue folks. Gonna contain a time jump and will be extra long to wrap everything up, but hopefully will be satisfying.


End file.
